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The most precious resource is agency

simonsarris.substack.com

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Re: The most precious resource is agency

#101

Post by an_opabinia »

bedobi wrote: post #8

This article did a great job of articulating something I've always felt strongly about but haven't been able to put into words. I'm sure I'm not the only one who felt like my schooling was mostly a giant waste of my time and energy. I was waaaay ahead in subjects I liked, because those things I learned myself out of innate interest. Rather than the system accommodating and encouraging being ahead, in those subjects I…

> giant waste of my time and energy

Telling people not to go to school is bad life advice.

> I was [in school and thriving]

I don't, would you go into the time machine and like, not go to school, as a young person?

Re: The most precious resource is agency

#103

Post by terminalcommand »

jkhdigital wrote: post #25
overgard wrote: post #18

One of the biggest tragedies isn't just that the childhood is wasted, but that many people never learn to have agency once it is available. I'm not saying you need to start your own business or anything like that, but it seems like most people live their lives never questioning the scripts that are given to them. The basic life script we all seem to have in western society seems pretty awful when you think critically…

For all but the last ~150 years or so of human existence, meaning and purpose came almost exclusively from (1) raising a family and (2) religion. I think the cruelest tragedy of modernity is that we no longer teach our children that life can actually be quite rewarding and fulfilling outside of one’s profession.

I beg to differ, this is way too simplistic. People pursued hobbies such as music, painting, theater, literature etc.

Raising a family and religion were important, but I don't think people were very different from our times.

To prove this just look at old folk musical instruments and their development. It is fascinating really.

Re: The most precious resource is agency

#104

Post by jlongr »

handmodel wrote: post #90
jkhdigital wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Economics is the new god, the god of materialism. At some point in the 20th century we decided that material prosperity is really all you need for a happy and healthy society. Doesn’t seem to be working out so well…

I never get what motivates people to blame the system here. If you have 150k in the bank you could go to a remote place in the US, take a lowkey job where you work 25 hours a week, and live perfectly fine. No one is stopping you. The only reason you don't do this is because you like nice things, nice food cooked for you, nice immenities, and want your kids to have material prosperity.

You're making some very large assumptions about the reader's circumstances and motivations:

>you have 150k in the bank

>no one is stopping you

>the only reason you don't...

Overall I think your response is not convincing. The problems of materialism are systemic because materialism is baked into the culture and institutions of the US. People are thus motivated to blame the system.

Re: The most precious resource is agency

#105

Post by onion2k »

sillysaurusx wrote: post #26
overgard wrote: post #18

One of the biggest tragedies isn't just that the childhood is wasted, but that many people never learn to have agency once it is available. I'm not saying you need to start your own business or anything like that, but it seems like most people live their lives never questioning the scripts that are given to them. The basic life script we all seem to have in western society seems pretty awful when you think critically…

I went and did the other side, living nontraditionally and trying to be what I wanted. I just applied for a regular job. Because to be honest, it’s gonna be pretty sweet having a fat bank account, even if it’ll take till I’m 50 to have FU money. My current hypothesis is that the team is all that matters. The work can be the most boring, crud-type work. As long as you’re working with people you like on something vague…

I just applied for a regular job. Because to be honest, it’s gonna be pretty sweet having a fat bank account, even if it’ll take till I’m 50 to have FU money.

You will never have FU money working a regular job.

Re: The most precious resource is agency

#106

Post by manmal »

an_opabinia wrote: post #101
bedobi wrote: post #8

This article did a great job of articulating something I've always felt strongly about but haven't been able to put into words. I'm sure I'm not the only one who felt like my schooling was mostly a giant waste of my time and energy. I was waaaay ahead in subjects I liked, because those things I learned myself out of innate interest. Rather than the system accommodating and encouraging being ahead, in those subjects I…

> giant waste of my time and energy Telling people not to go to school is bad life advice. > I was [in school and thriving] I don't, would you go into the time machine and like, not go to school, as a young person?

There are other types of schooling which are more tailored to the individual. You won’t find them in a public school though, with one teacher schooling 25-30 kids. It’s just not possible to cater to every individual‘s needs in that context.

The only way to get more individual schooling is to have well-off parents who send you to a school with smaller classes, and ideally with a more relaxed schedule, like Montessori (I personally find them a little cult-like, there are other approaches too). Or, get born in Finland or Sweden, they invest heavily into their public education system, and it shows.

Re: The most precious resource is agency

#107

Post by sangnoir »

sillysaurusx wrote: post #26
overgard wrote: post #18

One of the biggest tragedies isn't just that the childhood is wasted, but that many people never learn to have agency once it is available. I'm not saying you need to start your own business or anything like that, but it seems like most people live their lives never questioning the scripts that are given to them. The basic life script we all seem to have in western society seems pretty awful when you think critically…

I went and did the other side, living nontraditionally and trying to be what I wanted. I just applied for a regular job. Because to be honest, it’s gonna be pretty sweet having a fat bank account, even if it’ll take till I’m 50 to have FU money. My current hypothesis is that the team is all that matters. The work can be the most boring, crud-type work. As long as you’re working with people you like on something vague…

> No one will probably remember us the way they’ll remember pg.

The older I get, the more the whole "legacy"/impact issue seems overhyped; pg (and everyone alive today) is not going to be remembered for long either; perhaps 2 more generations, and it's a wrap. No one is remembered forever. That thought keeps me rooted firmly in the present and on the immediate impact I can have.

I have never been into poetry, but both versions of Ozymandias (Shelley's[1] and Smith's[2]) deeply resonated with me. I wholly agree with you, your impact, and your legacy, is with the people around you, in the here and now.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozymandias

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozymandias_(Smith)

Re: The most precious resource is agency

#108

Post by xapata »

onion2k wrote: post #105
sillysaurusx wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I went and did the other side, living nontraditionally and trying to be what I wanted. I just applied for a regular job. Because to be honest, it’s gonna be pretty sweet having a fat bank account, even if it’ll take till I’m 50 to have FU money. My current hypothesis is that the team is all that matters. The work can be the most boring, crud-type work. As long as you’re working with people you like on something vague…

I just applied for a regular job. Because to be honest, it’s gonna be pretty sweet having a fat bank account, even if it’ll take till I’m 50 to have FU money. You will never have FU money working a regular job.

Compounding growth does fine.

Re: The most precious resource is agency

#109

Post by sangnoir »

bedobi wrote: post #8

This article did a great job of articulating something I've always felt strongly about but haven't been able to put into words. I'm sure I'm not the only one who felt like my schooling was mostly a giant waste of my time and energy. I was waaaay ahead in subjects I liked, because those things I learned myself out of innate interest. Rather than the system accommodating and encouraging being ahead, in those subjects I…

> It really begs the question, what's the point?

To educate the highest number of children possible, as a reasonable cost, to assure a steady supply of capable labor year after year.

Sadly, this results in low-salaried teachers, cookie-cutter teaching plans, and teacher-to-student ratios that are not adequate to cater to the outliers that need attention.

Re: The most precious resource is agency

#110

Post by swader999 »

idolaspecus wrote: post #95
swader999 wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They'll follow you around and do all those things with you if you do it. My six year old mows the lawn since he could push it. Each kids has a raised bed they tend to each summer. School is ok for socialization but a lot has to happen at home in terms of this agency thing.

My intuition tells me this is the crux of the matter: If I spend my time in the kitchen and the garden and wrenching and cutting and repairing, then my kid will be drawn to like activities. I hope I can behave accordingly and I hope you're right!

Most important is just to play with them. You can't force it on them.
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