Life is Short

Paul Graham’s essay Life is Short argues that life is genuinely short—not merely a figure of speech.

The Numbers

Convert time into discrete quantities:

You get only 52 weekends with a two-year-old
Roughly 8 experiences of Christmas-as-magic with your child
If you see your parents once a year after leaving home, maybe 20 more times total

These finite numbers reveal life’s true brevity.

Identifying Bullshit

The essay emphasizes eliminating “bullshit”—activities that lack authenticity or reward:

Unnecessary meetings
Pointless disputes
Bureaucracy
Posturing
Dealing with other people’s mistakes
Traffic jams
Addictive but unrewarding pastimes

Some bullshit is forced upon us. Other forms we voluntarily embrace through self-deception. Online arguing exemplifies the latter—our defensive instincts make us waste time defending ourselves against strangers.

Distinguishing What Matters

Not everything society deems important actually matters. Ask: will you regret spending time on this?

Genuine meaningful activities—like coffee with friends or playing with children—don’t feel wasted in retrospect. Artificially important concerns fade.

Three Practices

Ruthlessly eliminate wasted time
Act immediately on important goals rather than postponing
Consciously savor experiences

My Takeaway

Cultivate impatience about priorities instead of constantly dwelling on mortality. Pruning waste, pursuing significance, and appreciating the present—that’s how to spend limited time wisely.