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The Ulysses Rule: Outsmarting Your Future Self Before You Sabotage It
The Ulysses Rule: Outsmarting Your Future Self Before You Sabotage It
3 min readMay 24, 2025
Let’s take a detour to ancient Greece.
Ulysses (aka Odysseus), the hero of Homer’s Odyssey, knew he was in trouble before trouble even arrived.
He was sailing toward the Sirens — mythological creatures with voices so seductive they could lure sailors to crash their ships into rocks.
But Ulysses, smart man that he was, didn’t assume he’d resist.
He didn’t trust his future self.
So what did he do?
He made a deal with his crew:
- Plug your ears with wax.
- Tie me to the mast.
- No matter what I scream, don’t untie me.
He pre-committed to safety.
He pre-programmed his resistance.
He knew the temptation was coming and built a system before he was tempted.
This, my friends, is the Ulysses Rule.
Why You Need the Ulysses Rule More Than Ever
We don’t face sirens singing from cliffs.
But we face their 2025 versions:
