The pessimist’s cure for procrastination | Oliver Burkeman

Why being on a downer can really help to get things doneAccording to one long-standing philosophical tradition, life totally sucks. The Thracians of ancient Europe were said to weep with sadness when babies were born, because of all the suffering they had ahead of them. (A modern book in the same vein has the splendidly grumpy title Better Never To Have Been: The Harm Of Coming Into Existence.) Most people know that old-school Buddhists believe in reincarnation, but it’s often forgotten th