251 comments on Climate Change, Sabre Tooth Tigers and Devaluing the Future
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Yes this is true. The study on age related discounting showed that older people DID have lower discount rates, but only on 1 the tests of 1 year horizons. For 5-10 year horizons, they exhibited steeper discount rates. Which makes sense.
As one octogenerian said: "at my age, you don't buy green bananas".
I've also seem a bit of this tendency among peakers: the oldest ones understand it all but say "oh well, I'll be safely dead when TSHTF".
Vtpeaknik, you quote a line I have used often. "I hope to be safely dead when TSHTF!" But I never put "Oh well" before saying that. I am greatly concerned with peak oil, global warming and all the other things that affect the earth. But I know there is nothing I can do about it except to try to get a few people to try to save their own ass.
I am a doomer pure and simple. I have thrashed this straw for forty years and have seen people discount and deny every fact that hits them in the face. I know we will do nothing about any of the problems until the consequences proves the doomers were all correct.
All this causes me to grieve for my children, grandchildren and all humanity. I do not simply shake it off with an "Oh Well!" But I cope.
Good bourbon helps.
Ron Patterson
“There is not any memory with less satisfaction than the memory of some temptation we resisted.” James B. Cabell
Oh the many truths of life and discounting that lie therein...