26 upvotes. Plenty of insightful comments. What I'm interested to observe is whether anyone actually does it. I wonder if even Julian has a privately determined short deadline that he is working on. I give the latter about 50/50.
This prescription feels like a Good Thing. That is, it feels like it is the kind of thing we should passionately approve of, and publicly support and generally try to force onto others without actually doing ourselves.
I've got a hunch that I have a little Akrasia demon in my brain somewhere going "Hey! That's a Good Thing and it sounds like it would take work. Usually Good Things that take work are egalitarian in nature and best left to other people to the extent that reputation considerations allow. In fact, if I am the one who is seen expending effort changing my behavior to be more Good then I will look like someone with low status! Hell, I'll never get laid if I look like I've got to go around suppressing my instincts and being Good. Screw that! I'm going to flaunt my ability to be stubornly irrational. The girls dig it."
...I've got a hunch that I have a little Akrasia demon in my brain somewhere going "Hey! That's a Good Thing and it sounds like it would take work. Usually Good Things that take work are egalitarian in nature and best left to other people to the extent that reputation considerations allows. In fact, if I am the one who is seen expending effort changing my behavior to be more Good then I will look like someone with low status! Hell, I'll never get laid if I look like I've got to go around suppressing my instincts and being Good. Screw that! I'm going to
The main danger for LW is that it could become rationalist-porn for daydreamers.
I suggest a pattern of counterattack:
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(This used to be a comment, here.)Find a nonrational aspect of your nature that is hindering you right now.
Determine privately to fix it.
Set a short deadline. Do the necessary work.
Write it up on LW at the deadline. Whether or not it worked.