--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I often urge patients to project…" description: "\"“I often urge patients to project themselves into the future and to consider how they can live now so that five years hence they will be able to look b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f0/irvin-d-yalom-1519_five-years_i-often-urge-patients-to-project-themsel_175170.jpg" --- # I often urge patients to project themselves into the… ![“I often urge patients to project themselves into the future and to consider how they can live now so that five years hence they will be able to look back upon life without regret sweeping over them anew.” quote by Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f0/irvin-d-yalom-1519_five-years_i-often-urge-patients-to-project-themsel_175170.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f0/irvin-d-yalom-1519_five-years_i-often-urge-patients-to-project-themsel_175170.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f0/irvin-d-yalom-1519_five-years_i-often-urge-patients-to-project-themsel_175170.jpg) > ““I often urge patients to project themselves into the future and to consider how they can live now so that five years hence they will be able to look back upon life without regret sweeping over them anew.”” [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encourages envisioning a future self and aligning present actions to avoid later regret. **In simple terms:** Think ahead and act now to prevent future regret. Key Takeaway Live intentionally today for a regret‑free future. Themes self‑reflection future planning psychology Mood thoughtful hopeful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career decisions - health choices - relationship building - financial planning Key Concepts existential therapy mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What present habit could prevent future regret? - How does imagining your future self change today’s choices? A Different Perspective Future regret may still arise despite best intentions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Live Now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-now/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [Psychotherapy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychotherapy/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Our deep spiritual confidence that this nation will survive the perils of today - which may well be with us for decades to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/our-deep-spiritual-confidence-that-this-nation-will-survive-the/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [I'm based here in L.A., but I think in the future I might consider settling down in Malaysia when I start a family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuna/i-m-based-here-in-l-a-but-i-think-in-the-future-i-might-consider/) [Yuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuna/) > [One thing I feel clear about is that it's important not to let your life live you. Otherwise, you end up at forty feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/one-thing-i-feel-clear-about-is-that-it-s-important-not-to-let-your/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“The freedom of an unscheduled afternoon brought confusion rather than joy. Julius had always been focused. When he was not seeing patients, other important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/the-freedom-of-an-unscheduled-afternoon-brought-confusion-rather-than/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“A great many of our patients have conflicts in the realm of intimacy, and obtain help in therapy sheerly through experiencing an intimate relationship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/a-great-many-of-our-patients-have-conflicts-in-the-realm-of-intimacy/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Friendship between therapist and patients is a necessary condition in the process of therapy - necessary, but not, however, sufficient. Psychotherapy is not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/friendship-between-therapist-and-patients-is-a-necessary-condition-in/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“The therapist's worldview is in itself isolating. 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Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“There is one true property of romantic love: it never stays - evanescence is a part of the nature of an infatuated love state.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/there-is-one-true-property-of-romantic-love-it-never-stays/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Were you really, truly, helpful to your patients? Maybe you've just learned to pick patients who were going to improve on their own anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/were-you-really-truly-helpful-to-your-patients-maybe-you-ve-just/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Beginning therapists must learn that there are times to sit in silence, sometimes in silent communion, sometimes simply while waiting for patients' thoughts to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/beginning-therapists-must-learn-that-there-are-times-to-sit-in/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) ## More by Irvin D. Yalom > [“ALAS, IF ALL HUMANS WERE WISE AND HAD MORE GOOD WILL THE WORLD WOULD BE A PARADISE NOW IT IS MOSTLY A HELL”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/alas-if-all-humans-were-wise-and-had-more-good-will-the-world-would/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [I dream of a love that is more than two people craving to possess one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/i-dream-of-a-love-that-is-more-than-two-people-craving-to-possess-one/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Ümitsizlik özfarkındalık uğruna ödenen bedeldir.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/mitsizlik-zfark-ndal-k-u-runa-denen-bedeldir/) [Irvin D. 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Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [Specialness as a primary mode of death transcendence takes a number of other maladaptive forms. The drive for power is not uncommonly motivated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/specialness-as-a-primary-mode-of-death-transcendence-takes-a-number/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Exactly. We know that the great Goethe carried a copy of Spinoza’s Ethics in his pocket for a year. Imagine that—an entire year! And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/exactly-we-know-that-the-great-goethe-carried-a-copy-of-spinoza-s/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Hope is the worst of evils because it protracts torment.” “Your”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/hope-is-the-worst-of-evils-because-it-protracts-torment-your/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [Mature love is loving, not being loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/mature-love-is-loving-not-being-loved/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [Absolute power, as we have always known, corrupts absolutely; it corrupts because it does not do the trick for the individual. Reality always creeps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/absolute-power-as-we-have-always-known-corrupts-absolutely-it/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Indeed, the capacity to tolerate uncertainty is a prerequisite for the profession. Though the public may believe that therapists guide patients systematically and sure-handedly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/indeed-the-capacity-to-tolerate-uncertainty-is-a-prerequisite-for-the/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Rollo May quipped that anxiety about nothing tries to become anxiety about something. In other words, anxiety about nothingness quickly attaches itself to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/rollo-may-quipped-that-anxiety-about-nothing-tries-to-become-anxiety/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [When people don't have any curiosity about themselves, that is always a bad sign.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/when-people-don-t-have-any-curiosity-about-themselves-that-is-always/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [If I'm among men who don't agree at all with my nature, I will hardly be able to accommodate myself to them without greatly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/if-i-m-among-men-who-don-t-agree-at-all-with-my-nature-i-will-hardly/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) [Explore all 184 Irvin D. Yalom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) ## More Five years quotes > [“Women will be at least 50 percent of the communications community workforce … from executive suite to interns. Why? The “integrated” agency will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoram-wind/women-will-be-at-least-50-percent-of-the-communications-community/) Yoram Wind > [“A clear look back on the Cold War's battlegrounds, along with a sense of relief that the world survived forty-five years of confrontation, evokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-clear-look-back-on-the-cold-war-s-battlegrounds-along-with-a-sense/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Something had been confirmed: I was worth giving a shit about; I was getting to be a successful sick person. 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I felt I was looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/i-looked-at-him-tipping-down-the-coarse-wine-like-a-man-who-expects/) [Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) > [I was sober for five years a long time ago and was just bored out of my tree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-sheen/i-was-sober-for-five-years-a-long-time-ago-and-was-just-bored-out-of/) [Charlie Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-sheen/) > [“Whatand why were never questions for me. How was the only question. When I look back now, I realize that I never thought about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadhguru/whatand-why-were-never-questions-for-me-how-was-the-only-question/) [Sadhguru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadhguru/) > [We know, Southern men declare that their slaves are better off than hired laborers amongst us. How little they know, whereof they speak! There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/we-know-southern-men-declare-that-their-slaves-are-better-off-than/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“most professionals progress until they reach an “acceptable” level, and then they plateau. 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I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mankoff/i-have-entered-the-new-yorker-s-cartoon-caption-contest-almost-weekly/) Bob Mankoff Browse all 2,724 Five years quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I often urge patients to project themselves into the future and to consider how they can live now so that five years hence they will be able to look back upon life without regret sweeping over them anew.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Irvin D. 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