Jonas Villela de Souza, 12166575

Procrastination questions

1. What is the main point of this article? Why is this article important?

The mean point of this article is about our future decisions. How we think about
ourselves in a decision for the future in a good way, but at the time the decision is taken,
we opted for the easier option. The article is important because it speaks of our decisions
and how we react to them.

2. Define present bias. Think of a recent time where you have

experienced present bias in your life. How did it affect you? Were you aware at the
time that it was affecting you?

The present bias is our inability to understand what we want today therefore will
change someday. In other words, what you want now is going to be different in another
time. I believe it affects me in a positive way because I believe that we should have an
open mind changing. I knew changes were happening, but somehow I preferred to let
them happen in due time.

3. Do you procrastinate? What are some strategies you use (or could
use) to avoid harmful procrastination?

Yes, I procrastinate. In fact, I believe that somehow we've all done it. To try to
avoid this kind of action we should always try to focus on what we want and we need to
think what is actually good for us.

4. Have you tried using any of the strategies described in the article
(daily planners, writing notes, etc.)? Why do these strategies not work?
 I have tried to make some notes to try to remember what I was planning for the
future. I believe that many of these techniques do not work because when we decided to
change, we are only able to change.

5. What did you think about the study conducted by Klaus Wertenbroch
and Dan Ariely? Were you surprised by the results?

I found it very interesting study. The results did not surprise me because when we
have a time scheduled for each activity, we could prepare better. In addition, when we
have to finish all activities on the same day, it becomes more difficult to do a good job at
all.

6. Explain, in your own words, the difference between what the article
calls “now-you” and “future-you”.

These are ways of thinking about today and the future that the author uses in the
article. In other words, the author uses this to express how we should think about the bad
attitudes that make today and how we would react in the future about these attitudes.