You don’t get dignity points for trying, you get dignity points for actually (or at least counterfactually) increasing the odds.
Yes, I think I understand this. The method that I am describing is not about increasing dignity necessarily. Rather, I am trying to point out that there is a particular state of mind, in which even if nothing that you would do matters, you could still work on your best guess of what would help. I of course completely agree that you should still work on the thing that is most likely to have a counterfactual impact.
But I like to give the extreme example of where you think that there is nothing that you can do, because if you can still work in that state productively on a futile agenda, then for any less dire circumstance where you can actually have an impact, you should be able to also be at peace in that situation. And I think being at peace. is more useful than to continually panic.
Another strategy I like to do is to think about the world where we survive, and then try to understand what sort of things I would have been doing in that world when what I have been doing has contributed to avoiding doom.
I don’t think it makes sense to literally forget for it is that you’re trying to achieve.
I might have not explained this well, but this technique is not about forgetting the doom at all, it’s just about disconnecting yourself from it emotionally. You can stop grasping the hope and be at peace with the imminent doom, but then still think about how to prevent the doom. That is the state of mind I’m trying to point at here. The consequentialist reasoning that you do in order to optimize away the doom does not need to be fueled by emotions of aversion and clinging.
In fact, I have found it counterproductive to experience these emotions. That is why I am suggesting this strategy. Again, it’s definitely not about forgetting the doom. It’s about being able to think about the doom without having your emotions yank your mind around uncontrollably.
Yes, I think I understand this. The method that I am describing is not about increasing dignity necessarily. Rather, I am trying to point out that there is a particular state of mind, in which even if nothing that you would do matters, you could still work on your best guess of what would help. I of course completely agree that you should still work on the thing that is most likely to have a counterfactual impact.
But I like to give the extreme example of where you think that there is nothing that you can do, because if you can still work in that state productively on a futile agenda, then for any less dire circumstance where you can actually have an impact, you should be able to also be at peace in that situation. And I think being at peace. is more useful than to continually panic.
Another strategy I like to do is to think about the world where we survive, and then try to understand what sort of things I would have been doing in that world when what I have been doing has contributed to avoiding doom.
I might have not explained this well, but this technique is not about forgetting the doom at all, it’s just about disconnecting yourself from it emotionally. You can stop grasping the hope and be at peace with the imminent doom, but then still think about how to prevent the doom. That is the state of mind I’m trying to point at here. The consequentialist reasoning that you do in order to optimize away the doom does not need to be fueled by emotions of aversion and clinging.
In fact, I have found it counterproductive to experience these emotions. That is why I am suggesting this strategy. Again, it’s definitely not about forgetting the doom. It’s about being able to think about the doom without having your emotions yank your mind around uncontrollably.