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ChristianKl comments on "Follow your dreams" as a case study in incorrect thinking - Less Wrong Discussion

29 Post author: cousin_it 20 August 2014 01:18PM

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Comment author: ChristianKl 21 August 2014 03:32:09PM 2 points [-]

I don't think making decisions based on gut feelings is the core issue. How does someone come to want to be a sports star?

1) They usually look towards people who they perceive to be high status and want to copy them.

2) They look at which activity they did in the past that they enjoy or where they got approval from others and then try to think up a career that matches them.

The first one could be good if the person has good role models but a lot of people simply have poor role models that don't make the world a better place.

The second is problematic because a student who just finishes school has no experience at all in the majority of tasks that need doing in the world and thus won't have any reference experience that they enjoy them.

Motivation is a gut feeling and without motivation you won't strive for excellence.