The most important difference between Level 1 and Level 2 actions is that Level 1 actions tend to be additive, while Level 2 actions tend to be multiplicative. If you do ten hours of work at McDonald’s, you’ll get paid ten times as much as if you did one hour; the benefits of the hours add together. However, if you take ten typing classes, each one of which improves your ability by 20%, you’ll be 1.2^10 = 6.2 times better at the end than at the beginning: the benefits of the classes multiply (assuming independence).
Nitpick: You cheated by stipulating that each typing class has a multiplicative effect. This is just saying that additive things tend to be additive, while multiplicative things tend to be multiplicative.
I agree with your larger point… but the multiplicative effect comes in because the typing gains apply to every typing task you perform over the rest of your life.
I was going to make this same objection. Your assertion that level 2 tasks are multiplicative with each other is not very plausible. It’s obviously false that each typing class improves the typer’s ability by 20%, since I can’t take 10 typing classes and start typing at 400 words per minute. More likely the gains with multiple typing classes are linear for the first few, and sublinear in the long run.
It is more plausible that level 2 tasks are multiplicative with level 1 tasks. If you get 20% faster at typing, you can transcribe audio 20% faster, and every level 1 transcription task you undertake now pays 20% better.
Nitpick: You cheated by stipulating that each typing class has a multiplicative effect. This is just saying that additive things tend to be additive, while multiplicative things tend to be multiplicative.
I agree with your larger point… but the multiplicative effect comes in because the typing gains apply to every typing task you perform over the rest of your life.
I was going to make this same objection. Your assertion that level 2 tasks are multiplicative with each other is not very plausible. It’s obviously false that each typing class improves the typer’s ability by 20%, since I can’t take 10 typing classes and start typing at 400 words per minute. More likely the gains with multiple typing classes are linear for the first few, and sublinear in the long run.
It is more plausible that level 2 tasks are multiplicative with level 1 tasks. If you get 20% faster at typing, you can transcribe audio 20% faster, and every level 1 transcription task you undertake now pays 20% better.