Dr. Hal Hershfield is a Professor of Marketing, Behavioral Decision Making and Psychology at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. He focuses his research at the intersection of psychology and economics; and his work has been published in the NY Times, Harvard Business Review, and Wall Street Journal, among others.

Dr. Hershfield is the author of a new book titled Your Future Self - How to Make Tomorrow Better Today, which he and Greg discuss in detail in this conversation.

In the book, Dr. Hershfield explores deep questions on identity, like:

• Are we the same person throughout our entire lives?
• How can we connect more with our Future Self?
• And how might such an improved connection lead to improved behavior today when it comes to things like our fitness, nutrition and finances?

Episode segments:

(04:10) - Hal's fascination with connecting with our future selves

(08:17) - Are we the same person for our entire lives?

(12:15) - How Brazil's most notorious serial killer became a different person

(17:27) - How one of your 5 key personal traits will change in the next 10 years

(18:41) - Why the closeness you feel with your future self matters... A LOT!

(25:05) - The "end of history" illusion or why you're not "fully baked" even though it feels that way

(29:49) - Writing a letter to (and from) your future self

(33:52) - Hollywood make-up artists and Hal's crazy experience "becoming" his future self

(40:42) - How to use commitment devices to encourage behavioral change

(47:52) - Better parenting by being more present (with the help of a "K-Safe")

(54:22) - The irony of being too focused on the future and missing the present

Link to (very) raw transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/51r2mYKG8om Be sure to follow Hal on Twitter @HalHershfield and Instagram @Hal.Hershfield

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