I’ve thought more about this recently, and one problem I have with this is that the open-ended tasks make it also really hard to tell how many levels above you someone is. I can easily accept that I won’t ever be the best chess player, not only because it does not seem important, but also because it is pretty clear to tell that there is a long road between where I am now and where I would have to be. My mind has a harder time accepting that I won’t be Scott Alexander by tomorrow, not only because it is more useful to be good at writing, but also because I don’t know how long the road ahead is going to be.
Also a good point, though this is maybe a different thing from the deliberate effort thing again. The whole concept of “be equal to the [top visible person] in [field of practice]” sounds like a weak warning signal to me if it’s the main desire in your head. This sounds like a mimetic desire thing where [field of practice] might actually be irrelevant to whatever is ticking away in your head and the social ladder game is what’s actually going on.
A healthier mindset might be “I really want to make concepts that confuse me clearer”, “I have this really cool-seeming intuitive idea and I want to iron it out and see if it has legs” or just “I like putting words to paper”, if you’re looking at writing. Likewise for business, “I want to learn how to make things more efficient”, “I want to create services that make people’s lives better” or “I have this idea for a thing that I think would be awesome and nobody’s making” are probably better than “I want to be the next Jeff Bezos”.
If you have fun programming right now, how much do you care that John Carmack is better at it than you are?
This sounds like a mimetic desire thing where [field of practice] might actually be irrelevant to whatever is ticking away in your head and the social ladder game is what’s actually going on.
Yes, I didn’t want to deny that 😉. I just think being motivated by competition isn’t always a bad thing (Though there are definitely healthy and unhealthy versions). For some reason, I find trying to be the best in the world at doing X is actually pretty motivating, and how this is harder (and more prone to an unhealthy attitude perhaps) to do if you don’t have clear metrics. It is also not necessarily that unattainable.
If you have fun programming right now, how much do you care that John Carmack is better at it than you are?
You caught me right there! I don’t care in the slightest.
I’ve thought more about this recently, and one problem I have with this is that the open-ended tasks make it also really hard to tell how many levels above you someone is. I can easily accept that I won’t ever be the best chess player, not only because it does not seem important, but also because it is pretty clear to tell that there is a long road between where I am now and where I would have to be. My mind has a harder time accepting that I won’t be Scott Alexander by tomorrow, not only because it is more useful to be good at writing, but also because I don’t know how long the road ahead is going to be.
Also a good point, though this is maybe a different thing from the deliberate effort thing again. The whole concept of “be equal to the [top visible person] in [field of practice]” sounds like a weak warning signal to me if it’s the main desire in your head. This sounds like a mimetic desire thing where [field of practice] might actually be irrelevant to whatever is ticking away in your head and the social ladder game is what’s actually going on.
A healthier mindset might be “I really want to make concepts that confuse me clearer”, “I have this really cool-seeming intuitive idea and I want to iron it out and see if it has legs” or just “I like putting words to paper”, if you’re looking at writing. Likewise for business, “I want to learn how to make things more efficient”, “I want to create services that make people’s lives better” or “I have this idea for a thing that I think would be awesome and nobody’s making” are probably better than “I want to be the next Jeff Bezos”.
If you have fun programming right now, how much do you care that John Carmack is better at it than you are?
Yes, I didn’t want to deny that 😉. I just think being motivated by competition isn’t always a bad thing (Though there are definitely healthy and unhealthy versions). For some reason, I find trying to be the best in the world at doing X is actually pretty motivating, and how this is harder (and more prone to an unhealthy attitude perhaps) to do if you don’t have clear metrics. It is also not necessarily that unattainable.
You caught me right there! I don’t care in the slightest.