Artificial Intelligence seems to be taking over the world. From #FakeNews to Machine Learning, it seems like the day is nigh when algorithms and robots will do most of the thinking and working for us, leaving us to do…exactly what ?

X=X+1 is a very simple yet powerful logic construct in the field of computer science. This equation -even if prima facie appearing incongruent- is used as a counter to perform a task over and over again until a certain threshold is met. Yes, it certainly lacks the panache of modern day machine learning models that trawl through petabytes of data to produce pedantic prognostications for our predilections: be it the next addition to our shopping basket or a movie pick for the evening.

But it can easily explain more: X=X+1 is the mental model that mirrors a lot of our offline behavior as well. It explains the reason we dilly-dally, drag our feet, procrastinate; after all there is always X+1 (tomorrow) to do something we just aren’t in the mood to do today (X).

To which I say: its probably helpful we didn’t live 250 years ago in the age of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

I don’t think the X+1 argument would fly with Mr. G. Here was a writer, and not just of the variety who pegged a blog every few months when the stars aligned (no need to feel guilty, merely looking askance at yours truly ). Johann wrote novels, poems, dramas – and just for good measure (one presumes) also an epic and an autobiography. That clearly not being enough, he wrote treatises on anatomy, botany and fractal colors (wait, what?) and after all that, in his spare time penned ten thousand (yeah-as in 10K) letters and three thousand sketches. Somehow he also found time to study and become a lawyer, a well-regarded statesman in the German state of Weimar, travel to Italy and fall in love with several women (relax..not at the same time).”The Sorrows of Young Werther” a book that Goethe wrote when he was in just in his twenties endures as a classic to this day. Among the fanboys of that novel is Napoleon (yes, that Napoleon) who considered it one of the finest #GoodReads, so much so that he supposedly read it half a dozen times and took a copy with him on his friendly travels (including a trip when he was trying to conquer Egypt).

Goethe wrote Werther in just over five weeks. And remember: he lived in an age when there was no electricity, no running hot water, no espresso machines, no WiFi-enabled smartphones (to those of you who say it may be precisely because of that…you may have a point!). But let’s keep this in mind the next time we feel we just don’t have enough time to pursue our dreams and do all that we want to.

Computer science professionals or not, we will be well served to remember the words of this prolific German genius: “Nothing is worth more than this day“. While he may have simply been paraphrasing Horace’s exhortation from two thousand years ago to carpe the diem, the fact remains that today, nae, right now, is all that we have. Let not the siren song of X=X+1 seduce us into putting off until tomorrow that which we can tackle today.

With apologies of course, to the unlucky worm and FDR.