You are familiar with the Ancient Roman advice, carpe diem, often translated as seize the day. Less familiar is the phrase that follows it in Horace’s famous poem, Odes 1.11, which reads carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero: trust as little as possible to the future. What exactly does this mean? It is tempting to interpret it as carpe diem’s cousin: live like there is no tomorrow. But why should anyone live like there is no tomorrow? Why isn’t that terrible, irresponsible advice? It might have you saying things you will regret, selling goods you should keep, or staying up all night swinging from a chandelier, living like tomorrow doesn’t exist. Like it doesn’t exist! But it does.
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