ciphergoth comments on Fighting Akrasia: Incentivising Action - Less Wrong
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I agree that discounting plays a huge role in akrasia. There are immediate costs, but longer term gains. This implies that the solution to akrasia is to lower your discount rate. Problem solved.
...now, how does one go about doing that?
"discount rate" only applies to exponential discounting. Hyperbolic discounting is parameterized by k, which is the reciprocal of how far away the reward have to be for its perceived value to be halved. The fix isn't to try to reduce k, which is obviously not directly possible, but to try to ensure the intertemporal bargaining is more often won by your longer-term interests.
Why is this obvious?
And could indirect measures do it?