It may not follow from the article, but I think that if people’s actions are so much shaped by unconscious effects and miscalculations about happiness and other goals, then actions aren’t a very reliable guide. See also the many discussions here about akrasia—should akrasia be used to deduce that people generally would rather spend large amounts of their time doing things they don’t like all that much and don’t contribute to their goals?
OK, so what people do, and what they say are the #1 and #2 best available resources on what they actually want. Sample from multiple individuals, and I figure some pretty successful reconstructions of their goals will be possible.
It may not follow from the article, but I think that if people’s actions are so much shaped by unconscious effects and miscalculations about happiness and other goals, then actions aren’t a very reliable guide. See also the many discussions here about akrasia—should akrasia be used to deduce that people generally would rather spend large amounts of their time doing things they don’t like all that much and don’t contribute to their goals?
OK, so what people do, and what they say are the #1 and #2 best available resources on what they actually want. Sample from multiple individuals, and I figure some pretty successful reconstructions of their goals will be possible.