gwern comments on Be Happier - Less Wrong

108 [deleted] 16 April 2012 01:51AM

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Comment author: b1shop 15 April 2012 05:35:58PM 1 point [-]

For the record, I agree that home ownership isn't worth it for most prices. Bad example on my part.

I stand by my original point. Just because working out has benefits doesn't mean it's not without negative externalities.

Comment author: gwern 15 April 2012 05:59:17PM 3 points [-]

Just because working out has benefits doesn't mean it's not without negative externalities.

Sure, but this is something that could be said of everything - everything has consequences which one has not foreseen. That's the first law of ecology.

Unless you have specific reason to bring that up, or good evidence that the obvious benefits are outweighed by subtler negative externalities that others have noticed, or something, why are we discussing it?

Comment author: b1shop 15 April 2012 09:35:04PM 6 points [-]

Because the linked-to study simply says "conspicuous consumption has negative externalities" and the conclusion given is "Avoid Conspicuous Consumption." I call foul.

Comment author: Klevador 16 April 2012 07:10:09AM *  5 points [-]

‘positional goods’ which, by definition, cannot be augmented, because they rely solely on not being available to others.

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... the production of positional goods in the form of luxuries, such as exceedingly expensive watches or yachts, is a waste of productive resources, as overall happiness is thereby decreased rather than increased.

^ This is specific to wealth and cannot (necessarily) be said of other forms of status, such as fitness.

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