Our self-predictive powers are so poor for a variety of reasons. For one, we imagine the future without much detail, like we see a far away object without much detail. One problem is that we factor in spatial distance, but we ignore temporal distance. So we trust that a Monday morning dentist appointment six months from now will seem sensible, and then discover what a bad idea it was when the time comes. Another problem is that present circumstances color the way we envision the future. If you go shopping on an empty stomach, you’ll buy more food than you’ll be happy with having bought later on. If you’re comparing TV sets in a store, small differences between them will seem significant; later on, you’re going to wonder why you thought those extra features were going to be so much fun.