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How Will I Measure My Life?

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Re: How Will I Measure My Life?

#41

Post by wu-ikkyu »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #38
wu-ikkyu wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you think humans can gain omniscience using the scientific method?

No. Though I am implying that we can get asymptotically close to omniscience (to the extent it's allowed by physics; full omniscience would probably have infinite energy requirements anywy) through the systems we build - which include mental frameworks, organizational structures and computing devices.

So then if we will always fall short of omniscience, why should we always seek it in everything we do?

Re: How Will I Measure My Life?

#42

Post by harlanji »

Good summary, thanks. I'd come to a less clear version of the same tradeoffs, thinking in terms of commitment level and capacity over time. Eg. 70hr week might be okay once a year but not 60hr for several weeks in a row due to draining personal reinvestment, which stunts the capacity growth that also would happen with the reinvestment time. "Vetting (commitment)" is the title of my freestyle lecture on YT. Your post is much more to the point; thanks again.

Re: How Will I Measure My Life?

#43

Post by tinymollusk »

titzer wrote: post #39

When I look at the things that I am most grateful to have experienced in my life, none of the decisions that would have been motivated by optimization processes would have led to them coming about. So what, then, is the point of optimization criteria, if they wouldn't actually enable any possible decision making that accomplishes the "goal"? Sorry to be so down on this, Kent, but this line of reasoning is such a fail…

A standard explore/exploit model can work here. Perhaps it's semantics, but I consider that strategy an optimizer, although it's non a linear or deterministic one. Optimize the things I know are working; add semi-random decision making for some percent of my decisions to explore new spaces.

Re: How Will I Measure My Life?

#44

Post by jack9 »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #33
frgtpsswrdlame wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I think there is a dangerous mysticism in this idea of the immeasurable, incomparable, and unfalsifiable value judgement. In what sense is it dangerous and in what sense is it mysticism? It's actually kind of an interesting philosophical question, I linked to some background reading at the end of this post. >Saying "my values are so complex that they cannot be reasoned about" is anti-intellectualism dressed up as pr…

> It's not anti-intellectual, it's a different intellectual viewpoint from yours. It is anti-intellectual, in the sense that it posits a separate magisterium of things "too complex to reason about" (or sometimes, "too profound to dare and reason about") and asks to give up the attempt. That way lies supernatural.

"too complex to reason about" strikes me as a layman's way of lumping overlapping subjective and objective valuations together. I believe "too complex" is a way to describe this and, ironically, an accurate objective statement.

http://maverikeducation.blogspot.com/2014/03/difficulty-vs-c...

Re: How Will I Measure My Life?

#45

Post by TeMPOraL »

wu-ikkyu wrote: post #41
TeMPOraL wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. Though I am implying that we can get asymptotically close to omniscience (to the extent it's allowed by physics; full omniscience would probably have infinite energy requirements anywy) through the systems we build - which include mental frameworks, organizational structures and computing devices.

So then if we will always fall short of omniscience, why should we always seek it in everything we do?

Because it doesn't matter that you can't walk a hundred million light years, if your goal is 5 meters away from you.

Re: How Will I Measure My Life?

#47

Post by saghm »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #45
wu-ikkyu wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So then if we will always fall short of omniscience, why should we always seek it in everything we do?

Because it doesn't matter that you can't walk a hundred million light years, if your goal is 5 meters away from you.

Maybe their goal doesn't requiring reasoning about the beauty of a sunset?

Re: How Will I Measure My Life?

#48

Post by mpweiher »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #34
hyencomper wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That would still be quantifying values against the tangible axes of time and/or money. There are still various other intangible factors such as happiness, goodwill etc which are immeasurable, yet contribute to the overall picture.

They are definitely measurable (by virtue of being a part of a physical process happening in the real world), we just haven't figured out a proper framework for them yet. Eventually, hopefully, we will.

> They are definitely measurable

No, not "definitely". You are assuming they are because "reasons". However, we have no idea whether those "reasons" apply, or whether they mean something is measurable.

You may have an argument that they should be measurable, but that's a far cry from "they are definitely".

A little humility is a Good Thing™

Re: How Will I Measure My Life?

#49

Post by lg »

nathan_f77 wrote: post #35

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned "financial independence" yet. Check out the subreddit: http://reddit.com/r/financialindependence , and the blog called Mr. Money Mustache: https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/ Many software engineers get paid a lot of money, so it's not too difficult to retire at 35 if you can keep your expenses down.

the spiraling cost of healthcare makes this very difficult in the US.
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