There’s a folder on my computer called “Time machine”, where I collect files on today’s me. It’s not exactly an FBI record on myself, but rather like a digital self portrait. After doing this over a longer period of time, I’ll share the folder with future versions of people I care about.

I. #

I like poring over old photos. I think it’s something I’ve picked up from my mom. She’s something of a camera terrorist – she’ll always pull up the camera and have everyone else pose. As a teenager, I used to find this pretty embarrassing. But now I’m glad she ignored my complaints.

A key theme in the book Thinking, Fast and Slow is the distinction between the experiencing and remembering self. The experiencing self is the part feeling pleasure and pain, while the remembering self reflects on past experiences. While we’re often told to carpe diem more, we’re rarely told to try pleasing our remembering selves. But looking back on memories can be a huge source of joy.

In A little book about happiness, Michael Dahlén, professor of well-being at the Stockholm School of Economics, describes a fascinating experiment in which participants were asked to estimate their well-being at three points in time: past, present and future. On average, the graph looked like a slanted “V”, the lowest point being the present. Perhaps looking back can make you more appreciative of what you have.

If that all sounds a bit woo woo, that’s OK. If you want, you can also use your time machine to spot cognitive biases. For instance, I have a list of things I’ve changed my mind about. As highlighted in Stumbling on Happiness (bad title, good book), we consistently fail to appreciate just how much we change. I also have a document with my worries. When revisiting past entries, I notice a tendency of taking things too seriously.

The end product, your time machine, is something you can share with others. In due time, I’ll share mine with the people who matter the most to me. For instance, I’d like to share my time machine with family members, long-time friends and my future partner. And in the very distant future, I might show it to my teenage kids, allowing them to get to know their mother better.

II. #

There’s a lot of latitude in how to build a time machine. My journal makes up a big portion of my time machine. But there are also other files in there. One of the benefits of the digital age is that we can store huge amounts of data very easily, so you may as well be experimental.

In secondary school, a friend of mine started a trend of creating monthly playlists on Spotify¹. I was quick in hopping on the trend, and I’m very grateful I did. Today I have a complete record of how my music taste has evolved since August 2015². But I’m far from the only one doing this kind of thing. For example, Luke Muehlhauser publishes a list of music recommendations on a quarterly basis on his blog.

I’ve also kept a reading diary since 2016. It must have started out as a vanity project. Having read a boring classic, I assume I wanted to remember that I’d finished it. It’s amusing seeing how my preferences have changed over time. My reading log is just a long markdown document on my computer³, but you could also use a platform like StoryGraph. As of a couple of months ago, I’ve also been saving blog posts that particularly resonated with me. However, you could go beyond music and reading lists. Luke Muehlhauser also compiles lists with video games. If you’re a big podcast listener, take note of which podcasts you particularly enjoyed in a given month.

This is all a lot of work, especially if you consume a lot of content. Be selective, but be consistent. By tracking your media diet over the course of years, you’ll learn how you’ve changed and gain more self-knowledge. You are what you eat, right?

Other things could go into your time machine too. You can get to know someone else in a surprisingly short amount of time by asking the right questions. In fact, there are various compilations of questions meant to foster closer relationships, the most famous one being the 36 questions to fall in love. You could grab your favourite questions from that list and answer them in writing every year, say.

I have two-three documents of this genre, but I’m planning on adding more. As mentioned above, there’s the list of things I was wrong about, as well as the list of things preoccupying me. Following the example of Nabeel Qureshi, I also have a “principles” document.

III. #

Humans have always been building their own time machines in the form of literature and art. But a time machine can be just about anything. Building one doesn’t require artistic talent, just consistency. Nowadays, you can build a digital time machine with minimal effort. Since files don’t take up any physical space, there’s no need to clutter your house with keepsakes.

I was recently given a necklace which belonged to my great grandmother. It’s a beautiful piece of jewellery. But it doesn’t tell me who Ellen was. I hope I’ll be able to gift future generations something more.