I want to attempt with all my strength, to do the specific things that I see to be done.
And this is why the illness of bodily defeat is so bitter;
one’s struggle, conducted alone, but in the hope of one day dragging treasures into daylight,
is felled by the weakness of one’s own physical vehicle.
I also suffer from a chronic illness that keeps me from pursuing my goals (which I think are the same as your goals) at anything close to the speed at which I feel I should be able to. I don’t know if my condition is better or worse than yours, but one thing that helps me is to think about how there are others out there who are a lot like me, but without these limits, and they seem to be doing what I wish I could do. Maybe they’ll succeed even if I’m not able to help. And if they succeed, then so do I.
Thanks for a response. I am actually most concerned about the things that I could be doing, that I don’t see anyone else doing, and which aren’t being done because I am operating at far below my potential. In my case, I think illness is very much just a symptom of the struggle to get on with things in an interfering environment.
The most ambitious thing that I can think of attempting, is to solve the AI value alignment problem in time for Earth’s singularity. After this bout of sickness, and several days of dawdling while I waited to recover, I somehow have a new tactic for approaching the problem (it’s more a personal tactic for engaging with the problem, than an idea for a solution). I hate the idea that this kind of experience is the price I pay for really pushing ahead, but it may be so.
In my case, I think illness is very much just a symptom of the struggle to get on with things in an interfering environment.
Do you mean you think you have something like Mindbody syndrome/TMS? I thought I had it for a while, but now suspect the root causes are actually physiological, not psychological, for me.
Just to clarify, am I interpreting your post correctly in reading it as you saying that the reason you’re not operating at your full potential is because of a chronic illness which causes migraines and other symptoms? If so, this may be something that you’ve already thought of, but it’s worth putting a lot of effort into tracking down the root cause of of the illness and fixing it (assuming you don’t already know the root cause and that there is a potential fix) even if it means temporarily working more slowly on the AI alignment problem. That’s what I’m doing, at least.
What’s particularly frustrating about lack of sleep (really any chronic illness that effects the brain) is that it hinders almost all goals. As far as I’m aware there is little to no silver lining. Add to that the fact that ruminating on sleep issues tends to just make them worse, and it’s easy to spiral into a self-defeating cycle.
I’d be interested in a post that examines a rationalist approach to tackling sleep issues.
I also suffer from a chronic illness that keeps me from pursuing my goals (which I think are the same as your goals) at anything close to the speed at which I feel I should be able to. I don’t know if my condition is better or worse than yours, but one thing that helps me is to think about how there are others out there who are a lot like me, but without these limits, and they seem to be doing what I wish I could do. Maybe they’ll succeed even if I’m not able to help. And if they succeed, then so do I.
You’re not as alone as you think.
Thanks for a response. I am actually most concerned about the things that I could be doing, that I don’t see anyone else doing, and which aren’t being done because I am operating at far below my potential. In my case, I think illness is very much just a symptom of the struggle to get on with things in an interfering environment.
The most ambitious thing that I can think of attempting, is to solve the AI value alignment problem in time for Earth’s singularity. After this bout of sickness, and several days of dawdling while I waited to recover, I somehow have a new tactic for approaching the problem (it’s more a personal tactic for engaging with the problem, than an idea for a solution). I hate the idea that this kind of experience is the price I pay for really pushing ahead, but it may be so.
Do you mean you think you have something like Mindbody syndrome/TMS? I thought I had it for a while, but now suspect the root causes are actually physiological, not psychological, for me.
Just to clarify, am I interpreting your post correctly in reading it as you saying that the reason you’re not operating at your full potential is because of a chronic illness which causes migraines and other symptoms? If so, this may be something that you’ve already thought of, but it’s worth putting a lot of effort into tracking down the root cause of of the illness and fixing it (assuming you don’t already know the root cause and that there is a potential fix) even if it means temporarily working more slowly on the AI alignment problem. That’s what I’m doing, at least.
Migraine is just an occasional problem. Living and working conditions are the truly chronic problem that have made me irrelevant.
Have you heard about the EA Hotel? Or considered moving to a country with a very low cost of living?
What’s particularly frustrating about lack of sleep (really any chronic illness that effects the brain) is that it hinders almost all goals. As far as I’m aware there is little to no silver lining. Add to that the fact that ruminating on sleep issues tends to just make them worse, and it’s easy to spiral into a self-defeating cycle.
I’d be interested in a post that examines a rationalist approach to tackling sleep issues.
http://slatestarcodex.com/2018/07/10/melatonin-much-more-than-you-wanted-to-know/