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buybuydandavis comments on Several Topics that May or May Not deserve their own Post - Less Wrong Discussion

7 Post author: EphemeralNight 29 November 2011 01:59AM

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Comment author: buybuydandavis 29 November 2011 02:49:42AM *  0 points [-]

Is tenuous hope more emotionally taxing than certain doom?

Yes. Impending, but certain doom has no worries. The suspense is over. The worry is over. The struggle is over. And in general, people adjust to their doom quite nicely, and find the world hasn't come to an end, just as they don't find Shangri-la when they win the lottery.

It's the perception of a coming loss that's horrible. Once the loss is certain, it's no longer a loss, it's a new baseline.

Comment author: ahartell 29 November 2011 02:54:23AM 0 points [-]

Yes. Impending, but uncertain doom has no worries. The suspense is over. The worry is over.

Perhaps you mean "certain"?

Comment author: buybuydandavis 29 November 2011 08:06:24AM 0 points [-]

Yeah. Thanks.

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