“Useful” is a prediction. “X is useful” means that you expect to derive some utility from X in the future (or right now). And then if you have an explanation, in what way exactly X is going to give you some non-trivial utility, you may be able to convince someone that X really is useful.
“Interesting” is the feeling of curiosity, it is entirely subjective and requires no explanations. You are free to be interested in whatever you want. You can even be interested, exclusively, in useless things (to the extent that anything is really useless).
My internal evaluation of internet discussions is much less binary than this. My curiosity tends toward things that I may get some utility from, and much of the utility is in the form of enjoyment of exploration and discussion.
There are some cases where there’s more direct utility in terms of behavioral changes I can apply, but almost never on the topic at hand (abstract unrealistic hypotheticals).
“Useful” is a prediction. “X is useful” means that you expect to derive some utility from X in the future (or right now). And then if you have an explanation, in what way exactly X is going to give you some non-trivial utility, you may be able to convince someone that X really is useful.
“Interesting” is the feeling of curiosity, it is entirely subjective and requires no explanations. You are free to be interested in whatever you want. You can even be interested, exclusively, in useless things (to the extent that anything is really useless).
My internal evaluation of internet discussions is much less binary than this. My curiosity tends toward things that I may get some utility from, and much of the utility is in the form of enjoyment of exploration and discussion.
There are some cases where there’s more direct utility in terms of behavioral changes I can apply, but almost never on the topic at hand (abstract unrealistic hypotheticals).