No way, it’s the stupidest thing I could do with my already very very limited financial resources. That sort of way of motivating yourself is really sort of a luxury, at least when viewed from my position. Lower middle class folks in relatively poor countries can’t afford to gamble their meagre savings on a fickle motivation; any benefit I could derive from it is easily outweighted by the very good chance of digging myself into a financial hole… so, I can’t take that risk.
I can think of much stupider things. Doesn’t the fact that you have limited finances make this an even better tool to use (in that you’ll be more motivated not to lose money)? The smallest pledge is $5 and if you stay on track (it helps to set small goals at first) you never have to pay anything. I think you’re miscalibrated about how risky this is.
And how were you planning on obtaining nootropics if your finances are so limited?
Doesn’t the fact that you have limited finances make this an even better tool to use (in that you’ll be more motivated not to lose money)?
… No. It doesn’t work like that at all. That’s the definition of digging myself into a hole. Will I be struggling to get out of it all the more so? Yes, I will, but at a cost greater than what I was initially setting out to accomplish. I’d rather be unmotivated than afraid of going broke.
I think you’re miscalibrated about how risky this is.
Possibly. The thing is, around here, even $5 is… Well, not much by any measure, but it doesn’t feel negligible, you know what I’m saying? Someone of median income couldn’t really say it’s no big deal if they come to realize the equivalent of $5 is missing from their pockets. It probably doesn’t feel like that to an American, so I understand why you may think I’m mistaken.
And how were you planning on obtaining nootropics if your finances are so limited?
I can afford to spend a few bucks on a physical product with almost guaranteed benefits. I can’t afford to bet money on me doing things I have a tendency to do very rarely. In one case I can expect to get definite value from the money I spend, in the other I’m basically buying myself some worries. (I should, perhaps, add that the things I want to motivate myself to do don’t have a chance of earning me income any time soon.)
I can think of much stupider things.
Of course; it wasn’t meant to be understood literally.
--
The bottom line is, they’re not getting my money. I’m really confident that it’s a good decision, and have really good reasons to be suspicious of any attempts to get me to pay for something, and there are really many things out there that are obviously useful enough that I don’t need to be persuaded into buying them. So… I appreciate that you mean to help, it’s more than one can ask from strangers, but I strongly prefer alternatives that are either free, guaranteed, or ideally both.
No way, it’s the stupidest thing I could do with my already very very limited financial resources. That sort of way of motivating yourself is really sort of a luxury, at least when viewed from my position. Lower middle class folks in relatively poor countries can’t afford to gamble their meagre savings on a fickle motivation; any benefit I could derive from it is easily outweighted by the very good chance of digging myself into a financial hole… so, I can’t take that risk.
I can think of much stupider things. Doesn’t the fact that you have limited finances make this an even better tool to use (in that you’ll be more motivated not to lose money)? The smallest pledge is $5 and if you stay on track (it helps to set small goals at first) you never have to pay anything. I think you’re miscalibrated about how risky this is.
And how were you planning on obtaining nootropics if your finances are so limited?
… No. It doesn’t work like that at all. That’s the definition of digging myself into a hole. Will I be struggling to get out of it all the more so? Yes, I will, but at a cost greater than what I was initially setting out to accomplish. I’d rather be unmotivated than afraid of going broke.
Possibly. The thing is, around here, even $5 is… Well, not much by any measure, but it doesn’t feel negligible, you know what I’m saying? Someone of median income couldn’t really say it’s no big deal if they come to realize the equivalent of $5 is missing from their pockets. It probably doesn’t feel like that to an American, so I understand why you may think I’m mistaken.
I can afford to spend a few bucks on a physical product with almost guaranteed benefits. I can’t afford to bet money on me doing things I have a tendency to do very rarely. In one case I can expect to get definite value from the money I spend, in the other I’m basically buying myself some worries. (I should, perhaps, add that the things I want to motivate myself to do don’t have a chance of earning me income any time soon.)
Of course; it wasn’t meant to be understood literally.
--
The bottom line is, they’re not getting my money. I’m really confident that it’s a good decision, and have really good reasons to be suspicious of any attempts to get me to pay for something, and there are really many things out there that are obviously useful enough that I don’t need to be persuaded into buying them. So… I appreciate that you mean to help, it’s more than one can ask from strangers, but I strongly prefer alternatives that are either free, guaranteed, or ideally both.
You could try using Beeminder without giving them money.