The mortality-awareness heuristic — asking "would this matter if I died tomorrow?" — cuts through trivial concerns and reveals true priorities. Samurai used this to avoid fear-driven and reactive decisions. Applied today, it serves as a decision filter that eliminates distraction by forcing clarity on what genuinely matters versus what merely feels urgent. **Cross-domain applications:** - **Career choices**: Clarifies whether prestige or fulfillment is the actual priority - **Conflict resolution**: Reveals which disagreements are worth the emotional energy invested - **Purchasing decisions**: Exposes whether acquisitions serve genuine needs or status anxiety