(a) correlation between unhappiness and willingness to actually update, among my non-OB acquaintance
Both of these could proceed from low status/self-esteem. In that case, I would expect the correlation to be stronger with updating in response to other’s opinions than to new info or self-generated ideas. I can’t tell about that, although I think I notice the same correlation, in myself as well as others. On the other hand, genuinely depressed people are (at least stereotypically, but in my limited experience actually) unwilling to update regarding the (nominal) reasons for their sadness.
What’s also interesting about that idea, is that it might also be that chronically unhappy rationalists are contemplating the idea that rationality leads to unhappiness, while failing to accept it as a fact.
I mean, most of the people who go around saying that intelligence isn’t correlated with happiness, are NOT saying this to mean, “therefore I will stop being so damn intelligent.” (Certainly I wasn’t, when I thought that.)
What they’re really doing—or at least what I was doing—is using their unhappiness to prove their intelligence. That is, “look, I have a useful quality that should be acknowledged, and by the way, I’m making a big sacrifice for all of you by giving up my own happiness in search of the Truth—you can thank me later”. The supposed lamentation is really just a disguised bid for status and approval.
However, if they were to emotionally accept that their theories are not working (as I eventually did, after enough pain) then they’d start being unhappy a bit less often.
Another interesting hypothesis to test, even if it’s not as much fun as squirting cold water in somebody’s ear. ;-)
Both of these could proceed from low status/self-esteem. In that case, I would expect the correlation to be stronger with updating in response to other’s opinions than to new info or self-generated ideas. I can’t tell about that, although I think I notice the same correlation, in myself as well as others. On the other hand, genuinely depressed people are (at least stereotypically, but in my limited experience actually) unwilling to update regarding the (nominal) reasons for their sadness.
Agreed that direct reinforcement is unlikely, but there are other possible complex reasons; e.g. evolutionary approaches to depression.
What’s also interesting about that idea, is that it might also be that chronically unhappy rationalists are contemplating the idea that rationality leads to unhappiness, while failing to accept it as a fact.
I mean, most of the people who go around saying that intelligence isn’t correlated with happiness, are NOT saying this to mean, “therefore I will stop being so damn intelligent.” (Certainly I wasn’t, when I thought that.)
What they’re really doing—or at least what I was doing—is using their unhappiness to prove their intelligence. That is, “look, I have a useful quality that should be acknowledged, and by the way, I’m making a big sacrifice for all of you by giving up my own happiness in search of the Truth—you can thank me later”. The supposed lamentation is really just a disguised bid for status and approval.
However, if they were to emotionally accept that their theories are not working (as I eventually did, after enough pain) then they’d start being unhappy a bit less often.
Another interesting hypothesis to test, even if it’s not as much fun as squirting cold water in somebody’s ear. ;-)