Even if “do what makes you happy” were the best rationality advice, the big problem is figuring out what actually makes you happy, how to achieve it, and how to maintain/improve it. Getting drunk is pretty bad advice for a rationality standpoint, because it’s sacrificing long term gain for short term pleasure, which is basically the opposite of what you should do. The man drinking at a bar all day is happier right now than the one working extra hours or studying, but in a few years, their happiness will probably be reversed as the latter’s investment pays off and the former is still just drinking (only with more health problems).
Investment dude is just working so he can buy booze, yeah? If booze in this metaphor is pleasure anyway. He’s saved up a bunch of stuff, but its not like he gets bonus points when he croaks for how much is in his bank account. Ultimately, the most efficient life only does as much of what you have to as necessary to do what you want to, yeah? Anything beyond that is a fail.
It seems like “should” is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence. If you had to turn that word into a sentence or two to let me understand what you mean, what would it be?
I would say that actions that make a particular person happy can have consequences that decrease the collective happiness of some group. I might use a tyrant or an addict as examples. In answering the question “What else are you gonna do?” I’d propose at least “As long as you harm no group happiness, do what makes you happy,” the Wiccan Rede “An’ ye harm none, do what thou wilt” probably being too strict (rules out being Batman, for example).
I think paraphrasings of “do what makes you happy” are fair as rationality quotes. What else are you gonna do?
Even if “do what makes you happy” were the best rationality advice, the big problem is figuring out what actually makes you happy, how to achieve it, and how to maintain/improve it. Getting drunk is pretty bad advice for a rationality standpoint, because it’s sacrificing long term gain for short term pleasure, which is basically the opposite of what you should do. The man drinking at a bar all day is happier right now than the one working extra hours or studying, but in a few years, their happiness will probably be reversed as the latter’s investment pays off and the former is still just drinking (only with more health problems).
Investment dude is just working so he can buy booze, yeah? If booze in this metaphor is pleasure anyway. He’s saved up a bunch of stuff, but its not like he gets bonus points when he croaks for how much is in his bank account. Ultimately, the most efficient life only does as much of what you have to as necessary to do what you want to, yeah? Anything beyond that is a fail.
“its not like he gets bonus points when he croaks for how much is in his bank account.” is a valuable quote in its own right
First, I’m not sure that straight all-out short-term hedonism qualifies as rationality.
Second, we’re talking about alcohol and there are… many side-effects to “making you happy” :-/
I feel like there should be some constraint on harming group happiness while you “do what makes you happy.”
It seems like “should” is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence. If you had to turn that word into a sentence or two to let me understand what you mean, what would it be?
I would say that actions that make a particular person happy can have consequences that decrease the collective happiness of some group. I might use a tyrant or an addict as examples. In answering the question “What else are you gonna do?” I’d propose at least “As long as you harm no group happiness, do what makes you happy,” the Wiccan Rede “An’ ye harm none, do what thou wilt” probably being too strict (rules out being Batman, for example).
Focus on doing meaningful work.