Group Rationality Diary, October 16-31

therufs

This is the public group instrumental rationality diary for October 16-31.

It's a place to record and chat about it if you have done, or are actively doing, things like:

Established a useful new habit

Obtained new evidence that made you change your mind about some belief

Decided to behave in a different way in some set of situations

Optimized some part of a common routine or cached behavior

Consciously changed your emotions or affect with respect to something

Consciously pursued new valuable information about something that could make a big difference in your life

Learned something new about your beliefs, behavior, or life that surprised you

Tried doing any of the above and failed

Or anything else interesting which you want to share, so that other people can think about it, and perhaps be inspired to take action themselves. Try to include enough details so that everyone can use each other's experiences to learn about what tends to work out, and what doesn't tend to work out.

The poll earlier this month seems to be sufficiently in favor of maintaining the current schedule that extra votes are unlikely to change things much, but if you'd really like to register your opinion, you are welcome to do so here.

Thanks to cata for starting the Group Rationality Diary posts, and to commenters for participating.

Immediate past diary: October 1-15

Next diary: November 1-15

Rationality diaries archive

This is the public group instrumental rationality diary for October 16-31.

It's a place to record and chat about it if you have done, or are actively doing, things like:

Established a useful new habit

Obtained new evidence that made you change your mind about some belief

Decided to behave in a different way in some set of situations

Optimized some part of a common routine or cached behavior

Consciously changed your emotions or affect with respect to something

Consciously pursued new valuable information about something that could make a big difference in your life

Learned something new about your beliefs, behavior, or life that surprised you

Tried doing any of the above and failed

Or anything else interesting which you want to share, so that other people can think about it, and perhaps be inspired to take action themselves. Try to include enough details so that everyone can use each other's experiences to learn about what tends to work out, and what doesn't tend to work out.

Thanks to cata for starting the Group Rationality Diary posts, and to commenters for participating.

Immediate past diary: October 1-15

Next diary: November 1-15

Rationality diaries archive

Lost 5 kg in 5 weeks by participating in a diet program where someone else prepares for me all the food. The food is supposed to be balanced, and is divided into 5 meals a day, which should be eaten in intervals of 2-3 hours.

I guess one of the reasons it works is completely giving up all decisions about food. Learned helplessness -- wouldn't expect to see it used for a positive purpose. When you just learn not to think about it, a lot of temptation goes away. There is no "more or less?" nor "this or that?"; you just eat what you get, at the predetermined time, end of story. It's like a precommitment -- with the advantage that the food is physically there (every evening they bring me the food for the next day; on Thursdays they bring also the food for weekend).

It goes pretty far in removing the trivial inconveniences, although -- if someone feels like competing in this area with creating a better program -- I can imagine a few improvements, such as also providing in advance a package of frozen vegetables for the case of sudden temptation.

My most serious objection is that I don't approve some choices of food, and the company gives me no choice about anything. (There are competing companies in my area that offer a choice of food, but don't provide food for weekends; in my opinion that would be much worse, as it would break the habit every week and provide a temptation with leftovers from the weekend.) My contract is till the end of October; and then I will start preparing my own food using the same system. And I will continue to measure my weight to see if my version works.