Cain and Abel are born into the world of time. Their parents had already been thrown from the timeless paradise of The Garden. As "The first real humans" (the first humans BORN into the world), they develop their understanding of the future beyond that of their parents'.
Peterson describes Cain and Abel's sacrifice as
"making a bargain with the future." This builds on the idea of time
itself, which Adam discovered when God told him he would now have to work. The
only reason to work, to defer enjoyment now, is because you know you have
responsibilities later. 'Now' and 'later' must be understood for the concept of
work to exist. Hence the fall into time and the burden of work happening in the
same moment.
The 'bargain' is a bigger discovery than time itself. It
is the idea that the future isn't fixed. That it is negotiable. That it is
changeable. You can bargain with it. It is not a rigid trap, it is just another
dimension of experience which, when understood, offers tremendous opportunity.
This is the basis of agriculture, of civilization, and of saving (money among
other things).
Hoppe and Peterson's ideas intermingle here as well.
Hoppe uses the phrase "in the long run" as description of bargaining
with the future.
Those who realize that the future is just as real as the
present can trade with it. They can trade with the future version of themselves
by saving. This is low time preference. It is in fact just a simple trade
between two parties - present you and future you.
An interesting thing about "the long run" or a
"bargain with the future"
is that it only works out in a society that is based on
honesty and trust. This trust begins within the individual. It begins with you.
If the present and future versions of yourself aren't aligned in values, your
present or future self is likely to deceive the other. You are likely to scam
yourself over time and become impoverished instead of enriched. This is what
dishonest financial institutions facilitate. They allow people to fool
themselves into thinking that they can become rich without sacrifice, without
work. And they end up collapsing and consuming wealth over time, just as
dishonest trades in the present do.
The concepts of saving, of the future, and of time
preference are the same. They are all expressions of the concept of trade in
the present moment between two parties. Are both parties honest? Do both expect
to benefit from the trade? Do both parties understand and intend to fulfil
their obligation to the other? Are you living a life that will be good for your
future-self? Will your future-self honor the commitments of your present self?
Or are you trying to deceive yourself across time? To enrich your present self
at the expense of your future-self.
Remember Rule 2 of Peterson's 12 rules for life: Treat yourself
like someone you are responsible for helping. Be honest with your present and
future self. Do not pit them against each other or both will lose.
-David Giessel
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