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Ask HN: Convincing someone that constraints are useful?
Some people don't believe in the idea that putting pressure/constraints on yourself can be helpful.
That raising $500k can be better for you than raising $2 million.
Or that paying yourself $75k can be better for you than paying yourself $150k (even assuming the money came out of thin air).
Or that having a bare-bones office can be better for you than a luxurious one.
I think it's a rare kind of person that doesn't benefit from these (and other similar) constraints. I know I'm not one of them. I think I do my best work when I'm really excited and a little bit uncomfortable.
How can I make this argument as effectively as possible? Are there any good texts on the subject?
How can I convince someone that thinks "maybe some people are like that, but not me"?
- ibejoeb 16y agoI wonder if there's a correlation. If you don't get a good response here, check out a pysch forum. Sounds like something that would have been researched. Anecdotally (which may be better than research for convincing someone): I agree. I feel smarter and more energetic when there's something at risk. When I had a couch, a beautiful view, and bottle of whiskey in the office, nothing seemed too important.
- fezzl 16y agoStrangely, most of the time, I find that I need to place the opposite type on constraints on myself, e.g. don't be so cheap with food and endanger my health, don't be too hardworking and sacrifice sleep, etc.