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lukeprog comments on Should I play World of Warcraft? - Less Wrong Discussion
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I almost always forego WoW, cocaine, and sex in favor of doing things with a decent chance of helping all of humanity. This makes me much happier with my life than WoW, cocaine, or sex generally would, though the sex option is at least competitive. Doing things that are clearly connected to your values is both motivating and satisfying.
I think the real question is: what thing(s) could you not add to that list? E.g., I could say almost the same exact thing you did, and it'd be true (sans the saving the world part, unfortunately)-- but I couldn't add minecraft to the list...
More specifically, why doesn't Luke add helping all of humanity to that list? Is he really that altruistic? What is it about helping some vague unappreciative "humanity" that lets it trump all these other awesome things?
I'm downvoting Luke's comment, not to be mean, but because I think it's unhealthy and not even moral to subordinate yourself so thoroughly to "all humanity", and I don't want to encourage Luke to do it more.
My point was sort of that I'm having a hard time believing anyone can be quite as dedicated as lukeprog's post makes him sound. Maybe he is just that awesome, but it sounded like posturing to me (read: it definitely is posturing, but perhaps it's also based in reality). Admittedly, I chose a roundabout way to express that.
I was adding my comment to yours, but directing it at Luke. Will clarify.
Economies of time and scale. I study mathematics because once a theorem is proved, it is established forever. On the other hand, working at McDonalds provides only a localized contribution in time and space, as does playing WoW.
Does this mean that once friendly AI reigns over humanity your most valued activity will be uncalled-for?
If doing things that help save the world is satisfying and then you actually succeed in saving the world it seems like you should feel entitled to be satisfied. Permanently. Then you can do all the other intrinsically rewarding tasks with the added pleasure of knowing that you get to do them because you saved the @#$% world.
That's not how it works on Buffy...
Friendly AI reigns over humanity != Acathla is sealed once again.
Perhaps it will make a 'messiah'-friendly world - so those folks who are so inclined can save the world every day - and twice on Sundays.