Preferences are plastic; they are shaped largely by...
...the society around us.
From a very early age, we look to see who around us who other people are looking at, and we try to copy everything about those high prestige folks, including their values and preferences. Including perception of pleasure and pain.
Worry less that future folks will be happy. Even if it seems that future folks will have to do or experience things that we today would find unpleasant, future culture could change people so that they find these new things pleasant instead.
Seems to be a chicken-and-egg problem here: if people only eat chili peppers because they see high-status people doing so, why did the first high-status person start eating them? It would make much more sense if unappealing food was associated with low status (the losers have to eat chili peppers because they can’t get anything else).
Another question, why are small children so picky about food? Do they perhaps consider their parents too low-status to imitate? Doesn’t seem right, considering that they imitate them on many other things.
Preferences are plastic; they are shaped largely by...
...the society around us.
From Robin Hanson’s How Plastic are Values?
Seems to be a chicken-and-egg problem here: if people only eat chili peppers because they see high-status people doing so, why did the first high-status person start eating them? It would make much more sense if unappealing food was associated with low status (the losers have to eat chili peppers because they can’t get anything else).
Another question, why are small children so picky about food? Do they perhaps consider their parents too low-status to imitate? Doesn’t seem right, considering that they imitate them on many other things.
I think small kids are different.
For adults, there are some dynamics but that doesn’t invalidate the point that there is plasticity.
Also some old SSC posts with some theories:
https://slatestarcodex.com/2014/04/22/right-is-the-new-left/
https://slatestarcodex.com/2015/10/21/contra-simler-on-prestige/
How come these are spoilers?
It is supposed to let you think if you remember the answer or can come up with it yourself. I explained it in this earlier shortform.