I am uncertain as to why you imply that a) I think a negative time preference is irrational or impossible <i>apodictically</i>, b) that the former is necessarily a neoclassical idea when the neoclassical synthesis in fact eschews it, c) that there is a natural rate of time preference, d) that time preferences do not differ per subjective valuations and units of goods on an individual scale, or that they are not dynamic, and e) that to respond to the assertion that deflationary spirals are unrealistic in presupposing a fixed natural rate of negative time preference with the opposite straw man idea of extremely high time preferences that favor immediate consumption is a convincing line of argument (indeed, the latter cannot be true for it would make capital investment an impossibility).<p>The three activities you list in parentheses apply only for those goods, and do not even imply a negative time preference. Saving doesn&#x27;t have to be a result of <i>negativity</i> at all, per se.