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This is one of those cases where science, viewed globally, is being dumb. Is it not consistent with the scientific narrative that procrastination, being a univ

by jblow 11y ago

This is one of those cases where science, viewed globally, is being dumb. Is it not consistent with the scientific narrative that procrastination, being a universal behavior, must have been developed evolutionarily for some benefit? It is a pretty sophisticated behavior after all (as the article even describes). So isn't it naive to assume it is a problem to be solved? Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but shouldn't the early work be in trying to understand the full effects of procrastination on lifestyle and future fitness so that we actually get to a place where we can make judgements about it? TL;DR: These guys are totally amateur hour.

nitrogen 11y ago
Instincts are useful tools for making fast decisions, but in my view we should see them as nothing more than tools. As self-aware beings I see no harm in deciding for ourselves when to follow our instincts and when to override them.
- jblow 11y ago
  I agree! But the first step in a good decision is a clear understanding of the situation, and it is a barrier to understanding to just blanket-decide that procrastination is completely bad without even considering otherwise.
  - Tenobrus 11y ago
    So... what's the alternative? Depression is another common behavior pattern/mode that "must have evolved for a reason". And sure, there might be a benefit to depression that is yet unnoticed. But since based on the current information it's so bad, treating it anyway makes sense. It's pretty implausible to somehow verify there are no benefits from procrastination, and it clearly causes problems for people (from their own and other's perspectives). That seems like something to attempt to solve. It's not like every single mental/biological feature must be beneficial somehow, that's not actually how evolution works. It might be, we can't "prove" otherwise, but we kind of have to work with what we have until there's a complete map of human neural structures or something.

by jblow 11y ago

nitrogen 11y ago

Instincts are useful tools for making fast decisions, but in my view we should see them as nothing more than tools. As self-aware beings I see no harm in deciding for ourselves when to follow our instincts and when to override them.

jblow 11y ago
I agree! But the first step in a good decision is a clear understanding of the situation, and it is a barrier to understanding to just blanket-decide that procrastination is completely bad without even considering otherwise.
- Tenobrus 11y ago
  So... what's the alternative? Depression is another common behavior pattern/mode that "must have evolved for a reason". And sure, there might be a benefit to depression that is yet unnoticed. But since based on the current information it's so bad, treating it anyway makes sense. It's pretty implausible to somehow verify there are no benefits from procrastination, and it clearly causes problems for people (from their own and other's perspectives). That seems like something to attempt to solve. It's not like every single mental/biological feature must be beneficial somehow, that's not actually how evolution works. It might be, we can't "prove" otherwise, but we kind of have to work with what we have until there's a complete map of human neural structures or something.