Time, Predictions, False and True: How much of our own future
   can we predict with accuracy? ===== "While my skills may be in
   computers, and I could make a *lot* of money doing programming,
   computer repairs, and the like, I see myself 20 years in the
   future, miserable, lonely, depressed, and suicidal." - Kenneth
   Udut, Feb 19, 1996 ====== Feb 19, 1996, I was in "church
   hopping" mode and had just discovered the Eastern Orthodox. My
   introduction was partly by phone, partly in person but much
   after that was online. A mailing list of thousands.
   In my introductory message, I expressed my gratitude, my
   thoughts about monastic life, becoming a priest if I decided to
   join them (which I did a few months later, and then petered off
   my interest 5 yrs after that and now agnostic), but also said
   this: "While my skills may be in computers, and I could make a
   *lot* of money doing programming, computer repairs, and the
   like, I see myself 20 years in the future, miserable, lonely,
   depressed, and suicidal." - Kenneth Udut, Feb 19, 1996 So, it's
   almost 20 years later now. Jan 13, 2016. It turns out I *did*
   make a lot of money doing programming and computer work, running
   businesses and the like, even the stock market for a bit. But
   I'm not miserable, lonely, depressed or suicidal. Could a strong
   awareness of a _possible_ future help us unconsciously sidestep
   bad parts of that possible future WHILE we're living in the
   future time frame we worried about? In short, did I internalize
   this and make it a goal for 43 yr old Ken to NOT embody the
   negative-potential-future 43 yr old Ken that I was afraid of
   when I was 23 year old Ken? == Of course it's POSSIBLE that the
   predicted future _could_ come true, as it's not yet 20 yrs.
   *fingers crossed on that*!