Getting pleasure and avoiding pain, just like everyone else. The question isn’t, “What do I value?” but “When do I value it?” (And also, “What brings you pleasure and pain?” But do you really want to know that?)
Getting pleasure and avoiding pain, just like everyone else.
It’s not as simple as that.
Happiness/suffering might be a better distinction. Some people get happiness (and even pleasure) from receiving physical sensations that can be classed as painful (people who like spicy foods, people who are into masochism, etc.). Using happiness/suffering makes it clear that we’re talking about mental states, not physical sensations.
And, of course, there are some people who claim to actually value suffering, e.g. religious leaders who preach it as a means to spiritual cleanliness, though it’s arguable that they’re talking more about pain than suffering, if they find it spiritually gratifying. Or it might behoove us to clarify it further as anticipated happiness/suffering — “What do you value?” meaning “What do you anticipate will maximize your long-term happiness and minimize your long-term suffering?”.
Further, talking about values often puts people in full-force signaling mode. It might actually expand to “What do you want people to think you anticipate will maximize your long-term happiness and minimize your long-term suffering?” So answering “What is your utility function?” (what’s the common pattern behind what you actually do?) or “What is your moral system?” (what’s the common pattern behind how you wish you and others would act?) might be best.
Happiness/unhappiness vs. pleasure/pain—whatever you want to call it. All these sorts of words carry extra baggage, but pleasure/pain seems to carry the least. In particular, if someone asked me, “How do you know you’re happy right now?” I would have to say, “Because I feel good feelings now.”
Re: your second paragraph, I suggest that you’re driving toward my “When do you value?” question above.
As for what I want to signal, that’s a more mundane question for me, but I suppose I want people to see me as empathetic and kind—people seeing me that way gives me pleasure / makes me feel happy.
Getting pleasure and avoiding pain, just like everyone else. The question isn’t, “What do I value?” but “When do I value it?” (And also, “What brings you pleasure and pain?” But do you really want to know that?)
It’s not as simple as that.
Happiness/suffering might be a better distinction. Some people get happiness (and even pleasure) from receiving physical sensations that can be classed as painful (people who like spicy foods, people who are into masochism, etc.). Using happiness/suffering makes it clear that we’re talking about mental states, not physical sensations.
And, of course, there are some people who claim to actually value suffering, e.g. religious leaders who preach it as a means to spiritual cleanliness, though it’s arguable that they’re talking more about pain than suffering, if they find it spiritually gratifying. Or it might behoove us to clarify it further as anticipated happiness/suffering — “What do you value?” meaning “What do you anticipate will maximize your long-term happiness and minimize your long-term suffering?”.
Further, talking about values often puts people in full-force signaling mode. It might actually expand to “What do you want people to think you anticipate will maximize your long-term happiness and minimize your long-term suffering?” So answering “What is your utility function?” (what’s the common pattern behind what you actually do?) or “What is your moral system?” (what’s the common pattern behind how you wish you and others would act?) might be best.
Happiness/unhappiness vs. pleasure/pain—whatever you want to call it. All these sorts of words carry extra baggage, but pleasure/pain seems to carry the least. In particular, if someone asked me, “How do you know you’re happy right now?” I would have to say, “Because I feel good feelings now.”
Re: your second paragraph, I suggest that you’re driving toward my “When do you value?” question above.
As for what I want to signal, that’s a more mundane question for me, but I suppose I want people to see me as empathetic and kind—people seeing me that way gives me pleasure / makes me feel happy.