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Productivity

blog.samaltman.com

71–80 of 428 posts

Re: Productivity

#71
post #20

What do people think of the admission by Sam that he uses cannabis to help sleep, and thus uses cannabis in general? I have no problem with it, but it's interesting to see high profile people in business become more open and on the record about their usage.

To me, sleeping pills sounds more controversial than a little bit of cannabis.

Re: Productivity

#72
Thank you Sam! I really enjoyed your essay, especially this theme you repeated:

> Finally, to repeat one more time: productivity in the wrong direction isn’t worth anything at all. Think more about what to work on.

If anyone has pointers on how they found the right thing to work on, I’m sure that would help a lot of people.

I can add my anecdote, which is seeing patterns of repetitive, unfulfilling work being done, and inventing ways to simplify them for the goal of reducing suffering. Also, not going solo and exploring what/who inspires you. For instance, I find Bret Victor’s work very inspiring.

Re: Productivity

#73
post #20

What do people think of the admission by Sam that he uses cannabis to help sleep, and thus uses cannabis in general? I have no problem with it, but it's interesting to see high profile people in business become more open and on the record about their usage.

I don't see why he doesn't use first-generation anti-histamines instead. They are not sleeping pills and not controversial, they just make you sleepy.

Re: Productivity

#74

> I very rarely eat breakfast, so I get about 15 hours of fasting most days (except an espresso when I wake up). I know this is contrary to most advice, and I suspect it’s not optimal for most people, but it definitely works well for me. Coffee isn't going to interrupt your fast, assuming it's black. I too skip breakfast and try to fast as long as possible. Fasting is tremendously helpful to productivity. Nothing wil…

> Fasting is tremendously helpful to productivity. Nothing will hinder your performance like a huge meal in the morning (especially one high in carbohydrates) This seems to be really getting popular. What's the science behind it? I'm curious if this is mainly anecdotal or if you did some research before jumping in. My 2 cents: as an endurance athlete and student of nutrition, skipping breakfast seems like a bad idea.…

Google "intermittent fasting studies" and you'll find plenty of information.

Of course, if you're an endurance athlete its probably bad to skip breakfast before a race or big training regimen.

I'm as skeptical of fad diets as anyone, but it seems like science is starting to back-up the notion that some fasting is good for weight loss (lower calories, kick-starts ketosis) and brain function.

And it seems to line up with common sense, considering our bodies evolved for thousands of years of food scarcity.

Re: Productivity

#75
post #6

I see these kinds of articles come along from time to time, and it always makes me wonder: Why this pressing need to maximize productivity? Why not just do things you enjoy, at a pace that you enjoy? Is it for more money/prestige? What's the use if you've been stressing and pressuring yourself for it all your life? I feel like the odd person out because I work on something while I enjoy it, stop working on it when I…

What if you could be more productive and happy at the same time?

I do think it's not good to have a culture where productivity is the end goal of everything. Yet I also think it's not good to have a culture where the first time the word "productivity" is mentioned, the reaction is repulsion (I appreciate at least your honesty in admitting you didn't read the article).

Just like the drive to work-death represents the worst part of the American stereotype, the repulsion against anything that produces work or economic value to me, represents the worse of the European stereotype (or perhaps in Thiel's terms, indefinite pessimism stereotype).

Can we admit that work isn't the end goal of society, while at the same time admitting that getting more work done in less time is a good thing?

Also, on a meta-front, shouldn't we discuss which of Sam's tips work, which don't, and which one produces a lot of unhappiness as a side effect? To me that would be more interesting.

Re: Productivity

#76
Does Sam Altman have kids and/or partner he lives with (that did not yet leave him due to lack of attention, spending time together) ? Just trying to find out whether the tips/lifestyle is in any way comparable to a typical situation of a 30+ yo.

Re: Productivity

#77
post #6

I see these kinds of articles come along from time to time, and it always makes me wonder: Why this pressing need to maximize productivity? Why not just do things you enjoy, at a pace that you enjoy? Is it for more money/prestige? What's the use if you've been stressing and pressuring yourself for it all your life? I feel like the odd person out because I work on something while I enjoy it, stop working on it when I…

There may be something you want to make that cannot be made that way. This is because understanding (and knowledge) decay over time, so if what you want to achieve requires a large amount of understanding, you have to work quickly. Additionally, if you want to do something very creative, then you have to fight against distraction and mistake (which I believe is absolutely necessary for real creativity).

Also, I've found that sometimes pushing yourself to a point of (mental) pain can actually be quite enlightening. It's admittedly rare (say, 1 in 10) but quite valuable for reasons of empathy but also understanding pain, which is a prerequisite for making a large class of really useful things.

Re: Productivity

#78
I can't wait until Sam "gets" meditation. It will be fun to watch how these tips and preferences change. It's a privilege for us to watch the thoughts of an individual destined for enlightenment as they do the work.

Re: Productivity

#79
post #20

What do people think of the admission by Sam that he uses cannabis to help sleep, and thus uses cannabis in general? I have no problem with it, but it's interesting to see high profile people in business become more open and on the record about their usage.

I really, really don't care. To each his own.

Re: Productivity

#80
post #20

What do people think of the admission by Sam that he uses cannabis to help sleep, and thus uses cannabis in general? I have no problem with it, but it's interesting to see high profile people in business become more open and on the record about their usage.

Ha, it's legal in his state, he used the scientific name, and implied that he uses for medical purposes. Then he gave a disclaimer that he doesn't think others should use if they don't suffer from a similar condition. That being said even with the caveats....I was surprised by the admission.
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