There is such psychological utility from the redemptive quality of holy thoughts. There’s a permanent war waged between enjoyment of the present and planning for the future. An obsessive planning of the future seems to be caused by a need to control and, at the root, a fear of death.

Too little planning? It’s honestly difficult for me to think of an appropriate pejorative for this at the moment. Cast in its best light, too little planning seems to be a fixation on the present. Of course, like all other parts of life, I know the answer to be the maintenance of balance. But balance is surprisingly hard to achieve.

Instinctually we recognize the opportunity cost in holding two views at once. Specialization is much more efficient. That’s why life has to be an imperfect walk on a path, veering left and right off the path, losing one’s way constantly, and requiring intermittent reorientation to wander back to center. Maintaining balance in life is similar – reorientation comes about from reflecting on where one was, is, and wants to be.