John_Maxwell_IV comments on Help please! Making a good choice between two jobs - Less Wrong

2 Post author: cjb230 10 July 2013 11:23AM

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Comment author: John_Maxwell_IV 11 July 2013 04:18:47AM 4 points [-]

People usually underestimate how much effect a long commute will have on their happiness (see e.g. here).

I've started studying Anki cards on my commute, which seems to be working well.

Comment author: Dr_Manhattan 11 July 2013 08:14:45PM *  0 points [-]

This. I get most of my studying done on the train. The detrimental commute is driving (though it can be much ameliorated with audiobooks). A nice train commute is an asset enough for me to prefer it over no commute (however it is expensive).

Comment author: Morendil 12 July 2013 10:18:03AM 3 points [-]

A nice train commute is an asset enough for me to prefer it over no commute (however it is expensive).

You prefer X minutes of your time that you are forced to spend in the company of strangers, aboard a moving vehicle, over spending the same X minutes in the comfort of your own home doing the same activity?

Comment author: Dr_Manhattan 12 July 2013 05:18:21PM 2 points [-]

Yes.

  • The train is probably nicer than you imagine.

  • I have 3 active little boys in the house. I love them, but they are hard to concentrate around.

  • Being aboard a moving vehicle might have a positive mental effect. I hear Tolstoy used to work on trains. I believe there were some well known physicists who did likewise, but can not recall the names.

Comment author: bentarm 12 July 2013 10:21:59PM 0 points [-]

The detrimental commute is driving

Is this actually true? I asked on this month's open thread, but didn't get a response. Has it been properly studied?

Comment author: Dr_Manhattan 13 July 2013 12:37:20AM 0 points [-]

I'm sorry I might have overstated my case a bit. Crowded subway commute is not fun either. My basic point is "it depends" and usually enough value rides on these decisions to look into details. Long car commutes generally suck (until we go driverless). Trains can be good or bad.