I wrote a long rambling thought on Steel Empathy and Steel Love (the kind of Industrial Strength empathy and love that Steve Jobs or Elon Musk could use on their employees without becoming worse CEOs, while making pareto improvements on their relationships and employee mental health).
But then found that I was probably making some assumptions about which background beliefs of yours underlay your comment.
I do probably have more sympathy for my past self than you have for yours, and I also probably have less sympathy for your past self than I have for my past self. (I was pretty careful about what commitments I made about what empathy and emotional support I was offering to arbitrary people, and fairly confident that I stand by them)
I read your comment and get some sense of… “and therefore...” what? Your past self shouldn’t have sympathy? You don’t endorse giving your past self the “Pray to Future Self” tool?
For people who are currently making excuses for themselves, while making bad choices, pursuing bad goals, or hurting others… who are nonetheless stressed about their situation such that Praying To Their Best Future Self seems like a useful thing to do...
...I think it’s possible for people to misuse the tool, and turn it into an excuse to keep making the same bad choices. But I think it’s unlikely to make things worse, and in many cases can make things better.
I am perhaps making some claim, which you disagree with, which is that I think your future future best self is going to have empathy and sympathy for both your present self and your past self.
I wrote a long rambling thought on Steel Empathy and Steel Love (the kind of Industrial Strength empathy and love that Steve Jobs or Elon Musk could use on their employees without becoming worse CEOs, while making pareto improvements on their relationships and employee mental health).
But then found that I was probably making some assumptions about which background beliefs of yours underlay your comment.
I do probably have more sympathy for my past self than you have for yours, and I also probably have less sympathy for your past self than I have for my past self. (I was pretty careful about what commitments I made about what empathy and emotional support I was offering to arbitrary people, and fairly confident that I stand by them)
I read your comment and get some sense of… “and therefore...” what? Your past self shouldn’t have sympathy? You don’t endorse giving your past self the “Pray to Future Self” tool?
For people who are currently making excuses for themselves, while making bad choices, pursuing bad goals, or hurting others… who are nonetheless stressed about their situation such that Praying To Their Best Future Self seems like a useful thing to do...
...I think it’s possible for people to misuse the tool, and turn it into an excuse to keep making the same bad choices. But I think it’s unlikely to make things worse, and in many cases can make things better.
Curious what exactly you meant to imply.
I am perhaps making some claim, which you disagree with, which is that I think your future future best self is going to have empathy and sympathy for both your present self and your past self.
Yeah, I doubt that claim. That was all I intended to imply.
Be the change you want to see in the world.