You and scarmig are both looking at the extremes. We're all screwed eventually, as death spares no life. But we never know when that day will come. So a more n

You and scarmig are both looking at the extremes. We're all screwed eventually, as death spares no life. But we never know when that day will come. So a more nuanced perspective would be to treat the now as your finale, and the future as your encore. That way, no matter when death knocks, you leave on a high note. If you put everything into your eventual encore, it's going to be one helluva encore if you get one, but incredibly bitter set piece leading up to it gets cut short, that chance never comes, and you realize just how flat your set piece ended up being. But it'll likewise be bitter if you pour everything into your finale, but end on a low note when you realize it's time for your encore and you've got nothing left for it. So avoid both extremes, and enjoy today while hedging for a potential tomorrow. As long as you keep that in mind, and consciously attempt to not invert it (i.e. maximize for a theoretical future by sacrificing your certain present), you'll generally be in a good place no matter when death knocks.