Some defend masturbation as a rational pursuit of pleasure — a bit of handwork for a minute worth of pleasant anticipation. But then your valuable hand is occupied with a fantasy, investing emotional energy. Without masturbation, people might fantasize about things to actually do, which then might lead to making the fantasy a reality.
Unsurprisingly, many people don't realize that a numerical calculation of expected utility ought to override or replace their desires, and instead treat the calculation not as natural law, but as mere calculation - something that has nothing to do with human values, since it's made up of mere squiggles on paper, instead of what we really want.
Unsurprisingly, many people don't realize that a numerical calculation of expected utility ought to override or replace their desires
Well to some that's just mental masturbation
Today's post, Lotteries: A Waste of Hope was originally published on April 13, 2007. A summary (from the LW wiki):
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