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Viliam comments on [Link] Lifehack article promoting rationality-themed ideas, namely long-term orientation, mere-exposure effect, consider-the-alternative, and agency - Less Wrong Discussion

9 Post author: Gleb_Tsipursky 11 January 2016 08:14PM

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Comment author: Viliam 12 January 2016 09:24:06AM *  2 points [-]

What’s the point of making a million bucks if I’m miserable doing it?

OK, this one is easy. When you make the million bucks, you stop working and start enjoying life. If you get the million soon enough, you may get on average a lot of fun!

It's simply "work first, fun later" on a larger scale.

I guess the better question would be "If I start following a track that makes me feel miserable but could potentially bring me a million bucks, how likely am I to endure the hardship and reach the payout phase?"

Comment author: Ego 18 January 2016 03:57:41AM 1 point [-]

It's simply "work first, fun later" on a larger scale.

It is possible that you are leaving out an important piece of the equation?

Debt first, work second, fun much later if, and only if, you are able to avoid the hedonic inflation that so often infects those who pursue careers for prestige.

Comment author: Gleb_Tsipursky 12 January 2016 05:20:26PM 0 points [-]

Viliam, good point about the general principle of a million bucks, although it would probably be more in the modern world.

However - and this is something I chose not to go into in the article due to word constrictions - people who go into medicine don't have that mentality. They generally have a mentality of working as a doctor throughout their life until they retire. It's really hard to choose a Schelling point to stop working in that sort of profession - doctor, lawyer, etc. It's much easier for entrepreneurs who have a natural out when their business gets bought out. Doctors etc. often association their source of meaning and purpose with their professional activities.