What is the single most important thing you should be doing?
Are you doing it?
(I’m writing the damn help file. Why? Because nobody on the team has the necessary domain experience and writing skills and English knowledge needed for that. Why is the help file important? Because it’s the single biggest chunk of work needed for the final release of our software. Very few users read help, but those who do are important. Why release the software? Because a release of a major new version brings in additional revenue and new customers—and because abandoning a project at 95% completion is (usually) a stupid idea. Why do we need more revenue? To explore a more mainstream, less nerdy business than our current one. Why explore a more mainstream business? I could go on and on and on, but sorry—time to write the help file.)
Why explore a more mainstream business? I could go on and on and on, but sorry—time to write the help file.)
Nice.
It’s possible to feel meaning without those questions having a final answer. As in, those whys really can string on indefinitely, but when I’m involved in a task, the meaning can be apparent to me, but not in a way that language captures.
I’m not satisfied with the answer that a hidden, higher-order goal or a secondary reinforcer is at work here. I think the action of carrying out a meaningful task has meaning in itself, not something that terminates in a final “because.”
Is this clumsy of me to say? I honestly don’t know what value this community would place on a claim that starts with “language is unable to capture it”—sounds pretty fishy, no? Am I just giving too much credit to what is really a preference?
My way of asking these questions:
What is the single most important thing you should be doing?
Are you doing it?
(I’m writing the damn help file. Why? Because nobody on the team has the necessary domain experience and writing skills and English knowledge needed for that. Why is the help file important? Because it’s the single biggest chunk of work needed for the final release of our software. Very few users read help, but those who do are important. Why release the software? Because a release of a major new version brings in additional revenue and new customers—and because abandoning a project at 95% completion is (usually) a stupid idea. Why do we need more revenue? To explore a more mainstream, less nerdy business than our current one. Why explore a more mainstream business? I could go on and on and on, but sorry—time to write the help file.)
Nice.
It’s possible to feel meaning without those questions having a final answer. As in, those whys really can string on indefinitely, but when I’m involved in a task, the meaning can be apparent to me, but not in a way that language captures.
I’m not satisfied with the answer that a hidden, higher-order goal or a secondary reinforcer is at work here. I think the action of carrying out a meaningful task has meaning in itself, not something that terminates in a final “because.”
Is this clumsy of me to say? I honestly don’t know what value this community would place on a claim that starts with “language is unable to capture it”—sounds pretty fishy, no? Am I just giving too much credit to what is really a preference?