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Why Life Can’t Be Simpler

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Re: Why Life Can’t Be Simpler

#91

Post by sgillen »

kortilla wrote: post #85
brnt wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would it? People perform better when not stressed. Lazyness is a big driver for invention. Actual research is already done driven by pure interest, not driven by ambition.

> Lazyness is a big driver for invention What? I can’t see it being a good invention driver for anything other than the category of “tools for lazy people”. How was the invention of the OLED driven by laziness? How about the high bypass turbofan?

So many tools take a job that was possible without the tool and make it much easier, and in that sense many tools are “for lazy people”.

Examples include: autocomplete, spell check, version control, undo, in-house running water, washing machines, Zoom.

Just to name a few random examples, the list is obviously gigantic.

Re: Why Life Can’t Be Simpler

#92

Post by jamil7 »

kortilla wrote: post #87
jamil7 wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess the other side of that is you can often take a dog or kids with you in the car or train but with a cat it’s a bit trickier. That being said my mum used to throw (kinda literally) the cat in the back of the car when I was a kid and we’d drive 2 hours to my grandmas place. The cat didn’t seem to care much and went to sleep.

A dog on the train? In what country and what dog size?

Pretty normal in Europe, at least where I live for dogs to be on public transport and regional trains.

Edit: just double checked the rules for the ICE (regional fast train), if it fits in a carrier it's free of charge, a bigger dog you have to buy a child ticket for.

Re: Why Life Can’t Be Simpler

#93

Post by classified »

kortilla wrote: post #85
brnt wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would it? People perform better when not stressed. Lazyness is a big driver for invention. Actual research is already done driven by pure interest, not driven by ambition.

> Lazyness is a big driver for invention What? I can’t see it being a good invention driver for anything other than the category of “tools for lazy people”. How was the invention of the OLED driven by laziness? How about the high bypass turbofan?

Big driver, not the only driver.

Re: Why Life Can’t Be Simpler

#94

Post by rpastuszak »

kortilla wrote: post #85
brnt wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would it? People perform better when not stressed. Lazyness is a big driver for invention. Actual research is already done driven by pure interest, not driven by ambition.

> Lazyness is a big driver for invention What? I can’t see it being a good invention driver for anything other than the category of “tools for lazy people”. How was the invention of the OLED driven by laziness? How about the high bypass turbofan?

> What? I can’t see it being a good invention driver for anything other than the category of “tools for lazy people”. How was the invention of the OLED driven by laziness? How about the high bypass turbofan?

It's proven that "doing nothing" helps with creative thinking. The inventions you are talking about are a product of both hard work and laziness.

You can't solve a problem by staring at your screen and thinking really, really hard for 10 hours. The solution will come to you a few hours later during a shower or a walk.

> "tools for lazy people"

1) From the biological standpoint all tools are for lazy people. Lazy animals spend less resources, which in turn could be used for creating more lazy animals.

2) Our brain is wired to be lazy. This impacts both how we approach problems (form stronger neural pathways or move between system I and system II to use D. Kahneman's example) and how we avoid them (e.g. cognitive biases)

3) The distinguishing feature of humans as animals is that we create tools and become dependent on them.

On a less serious note, I'd say that 90% of my programming work is driven by laziness.

For instance, I test things in advance or design them in a certain way so I don't need to worry about them in the future.

This allows me for focus on more challenging problems. These at some point become boring chores. So "I test things in advance or design them in a certain way so I don't need to worry about them in the future." Rinse and repeat.

Re: Why Life Can’t Be Simpler

#95

Post by romanoderoma »

mrfox321 wrote: post #41
lallysingh wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My cats are a pain the ass. They provide nothing for the effort and cost put into them.

What effort and cost? They're so cheap and easy to take care of. Maybe I'm being too generous since I am using dogs as a reference point.

Not cheap nor easy

They are incredibly annoying

But are funny

That's why people keep them

(I got two)

Edit: if they can roam freely they are also a threat to many other life forms and bio diversity

Re: Why Life Can’t Be Simpler

#96

Post by cyberdrunk »

draugadrotten wrote: post #78
praptak wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Of course this type of thinking would immediately hamper progress everywhere. Yes. Would it be a problem though? If everybody is happy with what they have, then progress is unnecessary or even harmful.

There are certain parts of the world where this type of thinking is common. If you can eat today and the sun is shining, why work harder? Then next year, a draught and famine strikes, killing thousands or even hundreds of thousands. Is it a problem? Is it harmful? Depends on your philosphy.

Worrying about and preparing for ever more elusive contingencies can be poison in itself. Kafka's short story "The bunker" pictures this state of mind very well.

Re: Why Life Can’t Be Simpler

#97

Post by ksec »

superasn wrote: post #81
carabiner wrote: post #15

I see this all around me. People are fixated on careers, hobbies (FOMO), spread thin by family obligations and errands. The truth is, happiness does not derive from these things. This "busyness" is an invention. Life is simple, and happiness actually derives from having cats.

You know what drives me crazy? All these people talking about how great technology is and how it saves all this time. But what good is saved time if nobody uses it? It just turns into more busy work, right? You never hear somebody say, "Well, with the time I’ve saved by using my Word Processor, I’m gonna go to a Zen monastery and hang out.” (Jesse)

I am getting "smart" technology fatigue. I want old fashion technology, mechanical, analog. Whiteboard, Pen and Pencil, Dump TV.

Re: Why Life Can’t Be Simpler

#98

Post by hamilyon2 »

kortilla wrote: post #85
brnt wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would it? People perform better when not stressed. Lazyness is a big driver for invention. Actual research is already done driven by pure interest, not driven by ambition.

> Lazyness is a big driver for invention What? I can’t see it being a good invention driver for anything other than the category of “tools for lazy people”. How was the invention of the OLED driven by laziness? How about the high bypass turbofan?

OLED: Performing in theater live is laborious. Also, getting there and waiting for actors.

Turbofan is way out of my area of expertise. Still, I guess planes are less hard than breeding, riding a thousand horses, sailing ships, and so. And waiting, waiting is not for lazy.

Re: Why Life Can’t Be Simpler

#99

Post by WetMinister »

superasn wrote: post #81
carabiner wrote: post #15

I see this all around me. People are fixated on careers, hobbies (FOMO), spread thin by family obligations and errands. The truth is, happiness does not derive from these things. This "busyness" is an invention. Life is simple, and happiness actually derives from having cats.

You know what drives me crazy? All these people talking about how great technology is and how it saves all this time. But what good is saved time if nobody uses it? It just turns into more busy work, right? You never hear somebody say, "Well, with the time I’ve saved by using my Word Processor, I’m gonna go to a Zen monastery and hang out.” (Jesse)

Also applies to the very tired ”work smarter, not harder” saying: it never means working less with the time you gain but actually means ”work smarter so you can work even more”

Re: Why Life Can’t Be Simpler

#100

Post by coldtea »

vffhfhf wrote: post #59

Life is simple.. If you aim lower. There was a psychology research on how people even billionaire form a baseline similar to a homeless dude. All the stress, pressure you have is the same as everybody else and it will never change. So the goal should be do whatever you enjoy while doing the minimum effort.. Of course this type of thinking would immediately hamper progress everywhere.

>Of course this type of thinking would immediately hamper progress everywhere.

Depends on the definition of progress, which as a term by itself is meaningless.

More technological progress? It might hamper that.

More progress towards happier and less stressed people? It might improve that - and other dimensions, e.g. environment, equality, democracy, etc.

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