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That part has been widely discussed. The second one was new to me: buy plastic surgery.

by phreeza 11y ago

lisper 11y ago
I didn't notice the plastic surgery part. I think the article may not have completely loaded the first time.
jmiserez 11y ago
The article only mentions surgery that directly improves ones looks. Surgery that improves functionality such as corrective eye surgery should also be considered, and the cost is far easier to justify. E.g. I have IOL implants to fix my eyesight and it's both useful on a daily basis and still very satisying even years later.
- phreeza 11y ago
  Yes, also other things that improve your well-being/physique should be studied, like hiring a personal trainer (and getting in shape).
- redthrowaway 11y ago
  Yeah, I got LASIK a year ago and it's probably the fourth-best large purchase I ever made, behind school, travel, and a motorcycle.
- J-dawg 11y ago
  If you don't mind sharing, how was the surgery? You seem happy with the results, are there any downsides? Why did you choose IOLs over Lasik?
  - cpfohl 11y ago
    Did a quick Google: IOL surgery is cataract repair if I understood what I read correctly. LASIK is repair for myopia. Not sure I used all the words correctly... Is there a word for myopia that includes reading distance too?
    - J-dawg 11y ago
      I believe it can be both. In cataract surgery, the eye's lens is removed (because it has gone cloudy) and replaced with an implantable lens. IOLs can also be used in myopia. The implantable lens is placed in front of the natural lens to correct the near-sightedness, like a contact lens but INSIDE the eye. The natural lens is left intact so you don't lost the ability to focus close up (accommodation). There are also accommodating lens implants, which are pretty new. So a cataract patient can regain their ability to focus close up.
      - cpfohl 11y ago
        Super nifty!
    - deleted 11y ago
      [deleted]
- VLM 11y ago
  The topic of looks was a major analysis mistake in the article. Given the example in the article of the woman who got plastic surgery, she doesn't get the dopamine hit the day of surgery and now mysteriously years later she's still happy, instead she gets the dopamine hit every time some guy pays attention to her or she gets someones attention, which might be as recently as today, therefore there's no mystery why she's still happy. Your situation is probably a long term / permanent memory of having vision problems combined with those problems being gone now. The article seems to imply no matter how poor you have been, you'll forget it eventually once you're rich enough, which I find unlikely.
  - nommm-nommm 11y ago
    You're making the incorrect assumption that women get plastic surgery so men will pay attention to them. Perhaps some do but many also get it for themselves.
    - VLM 11y ago
      "Perhaps some do" Ah, we agree then, because a statistically relevant correlation never requires 100% participation. Or lack of 100% participation never disproves a correlation. Certainly ongoing peer / public recognition is a very significant difference between that example in the article of plastic surgery and the other example provided of buying a, now obsolete, original ipad. An analogous plastic surgery / body mod that can become obsolete over time is obscure, hard to think of, unlikely... maybe a tattoo with the name of a former S.O. Maybe fad piercings.
      - nommm-nommm 11y ago
        "ongoing peer / public recognition" is not the same as "some guy pay[ing] attention to her."
greggman 11y ago
If plastic surgery works it would seem fashion (which is things) would also work. Feeling like you look great is a good feeling, at least for me. And getting compliments on my look feels great too. Whether or not that equates to more or less happiness than spending that money on some other type of experience I have no idea
- nlh 11y ago
  I think the implication of the article is that pure fashion (i.e. clothes) tend to lead to adaption, and over time we feel less-happy about them. But plastic surgery seems to provide longer-lasting satisfaction (perhaps because in our heads, a change to our actual bodies is deeper and more satisfying than a new pair of shoes.)

That part has been widely discussed. The second one was new to me: buy plastic surgery.

by phreeza 11y ago

That part has been widely discussed. The second one was new to me: buy plastic surgery.

lisper 11y ago

I didn't notice the plastic surgery part. I think the article may not have completely loaded the first time.

jmiserez 11y ago

The article only mentions surgery that directly improves ones looks. Surgery that improves functionality such as corrective eye surgery should also be considered, and the cost is far easier to justify. E.g. I have IOL implants to fix my eyesight and it's both useful on a daily basis and still very satisying even years later.

phreeza 11y ago
Yes, also other things that improve your well-being/physique should be studied, like hiring a personal trainer (and getting in shape).
redthrowaway 11y ago
Yeah, I got LASIK a year ago and it's probably the fourth-best large purchase I ever made, behind school, travel, and a motorcycle.
J-dawg 11y ago
If you don't mind sharing, how was the surgery? You seem happy with the results, are there any downsides? Why did you choose IOLs over Lasik?
- cpfohl 11y ago
  Did a quick Google: IOL surgery is cataract repair if I understood what I read correctly. LASIK is repair for myopia. Not sure I used all the words correctly... Is there a word for myopia that includes reading distance too?
  - J-dawg 11y ago
    I believe it can be both. In cataract surgery, the eye's lens is removed (because it has gone cloudy) and replaced with an implantable lens. IOLs can also be used in myopia. The implantable lens is placed in front of the natural lens to correct the near-sightedness, like a contact lens but INSIDE the eye. The natural lens is left intact so you don't lost the ability to focus close up (accommodation). There are also accommodating lens implants, which are pretty new. So a cataract patient can regain their ability to focus close up.
    - cpfohl 11y ago
      Super nifty!
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
VLM 11y ago
The topic of looks was a major analysis mistake in the article. Given the example in the article of the woman who got plastic surgery, she doesn't get the dopamine hit the day of surgery and now mysteriously years later she's still happy, instead she gets the dopamine hit every time some guy pays attention to her or she gets someones attention, which might be as recently as today, therefore there's no mystery why she's still happy. Your situation is probably a long term / permanent memory of having vision problems combined with those problems being gone now. The article seems to imply no matter how poor you have been, you'll forget it eventually once you're rich enough, which I find unlikely.
- nommm-nommm 11y ago
  You're making the incorrect assumption that women get plastic surgery so men will pay attention to them. Perhaps some do but many also get it for themselves.
  - VLM 11y ago
    "Perhaps some do" Ah, we agree then, because a statistically relevant correlation never requires 100% participation. Or lack of 100% participation never disproves a correlation. Certainly ongoing peer / public recognition is a very significant difference between that example in the article of plastic surgery and the other example provided of buying a, now obsolete, original ipad. An analogous plastic surgery / body mod that can become obsolete over time is obscure, hard to think of, unlikely... maybe a tattoo with the name of a former S.O. Maybe fad piercings.
    - nommm-nommm 11y ago
      "ongoing peer / public recognition" is not the same as "some guy pay[ing] attention to her."

greggman 11y ago

If plastic surgery works it would seem fashion (which is things) would also work. Feeling like you look great is a good feeling, at least for me. And getting compliments on my look feels great too. Whether or not that equates to more or less happiness than spending that money on some other type of experience I have no idea

nlh 11y ago
I think the implication of the article is that pure fashion (i.e. clothes) tend to lead to adaption, and over time we feel less-happy about them. But plastic surgery seems to provide longer-lasting satisfaction (perhaps because in our heads, a change to our actual bodies is deeper and more satisfying than a new pair of shoes.)