"If you have a bunch of money in stocks and savings, and no dependents, and you are going to die tomorrow, then it's rational to cash that all out and spend it

"If you have a bunch of money in stocks and savings, and no dependents, and you are going to die tomorrow, then it's rational to cash that all out and spend it in the most pleasurable way you can. (Or, if possible, spend it on figuring out a way out of my 24-hour countdown predicament!)" That isn't any more rational than assuming that you're going to die tomorrow or live forever. Those are simply choices, rational or not. Life is a part of death, death is a part of life. Breathing in means breathing out. Eating food means taking a dump. Being born means growing old. Imagining that you're going to die tomorrow isn't meant to make your life more special. It is used to invoke fear of death which in turns focuses you on the here-and-now (usually by triggering andrenaline). If you can become present in the moment without invoking fear of death, then by all means do so. Presence of mind lets you act powerfully; even mindless people react to someone with a powerful presence (>cough<Steve Jobs>cough<). It is worth cultivating and learning how to trigger at-will. It is not "silly".