Question As a teenager, I often have the tendency to embrace certain 'life philosophies' with complete disregard to all others. These philosophies often changed depending on my mood at that time, with little rational consideration. One of the most common of these teenage mottos is the saying "live every day like it's your last", or perhaps more relevantly, "live in the moment". Whether it is wise or not is another matter, but surely it is rational to hold such outlooks, since living every day like it's your last at least assumes that if you were to die, you have experienced at least some of life's prizes. However, my question concerns whether it is rationally possible to live life through this lens, while simultaneously respecting the need for hard work in consideration of future, perhaps greater, opportunities? Is it possible to abide by both philosophies, or must one choose?

Accepted:

May 12, 2011