Why I dislike the idea that one should "Live in the moment".

The phrase above implies (and is intended very much to do so) that we, even as sentient or sapient creatures, should ignore the past and ignore the future. Recently, however, there have been studies that have confirmed my long-held belief that people who plan for the future are much more likely to live longer, happier, and more productive lives than those who think only of the present. Also, it is important to remember that "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it"- as originally stated by George Santayana. Another great quotation on this subject is "Failing to plan is planning to fail" - Tom Harvey. I myself have written that, "Without a plan, we are doomed to fail".

Another thing that people who try to cheer people up by telling them to "live in the moment" need to realize is that those people they are trying to help are probably already doing so and that is why they are suffering. Instead of thinking themselves out of their problems, they are thinking themselves into the very situation they desire relief from, so such advice actually ends up being cruel in it's result, if not in it's intent, and completely unhelpful. It sounds good to all the modern followers of pop-psychology, but is otherwise useless for healing emotional pain. If you just think back through your own life, I'm sure that you could easily find many moments that if you foolishly allowed yourself to "live in these moments, without thought of the future" you would likely want to desperately try by any means to end the misery that you would be feeling, which is actually not what a true healer should desire for a patient to want. Healers, doctors, physicians, (whatever you choose to call them) are supposed to "first do no harm, unless harm is necessary to preserve the greater good". - Hippocratic Oath. Healers are supposed to be providing real solutions to people's problems, not band-aid solutions or Final Solutions.