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Articles about this usually focus on frivolous wants, like Facebook likes. But it's also true of more worthwhile wants. If you want to cure cancer, and eventual

by tlb 7y ago

Articles about this usually focus on frivolous wants, like Facebook likes. But it's also true of more worthwhile wants. If you want to cure cancer, and eventually succeed, you won't be any happier after an initial rush. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't be driven by such wants.

alexwilde 7y ago
I find this hard to believe. If you cure cancer, that's a gift that keeps on giving. Imagine knowing day-in and day-out your work was all worth it and you continually save N lives YoY.
- Apocryphon 7y ago
  And yet, it is a common criticism that Silicon Valley is focused on building cat photo sharing apps, or on demand services, or whatever is the current defining stereotypical trend, than tackling the “big problems”, such as cancer. So certainly our economic structure incentivizes frivolous wants, which make investors happy and founders wealthy.
  - tlb 7y ago
    Many, many people in SV are working on cancer and other really valuable things. Progress is slow because it's hard, not because nobody works on it.
    - Apocryphon 7y ago
      Mythical Man-Month and all that, but progress would probably be a little less slow if more people and organizations are incentivized to work on the same problem. See the progress on self-driving vehicles.
      - brokenmachine 7y ago
        >See the progress on self-driving vehicles. Self-driving vehicles are complete hype - so far from a reality it's ridiculous that people here still seem so bullish on them. Please show me a single vehicle that is anywhere close to being able to drive unassisted in all weather conditions and on any roads that a human would drive.
        Apocryphon 7y ago
        Regardless of their product viability, doubtless an immense amount of advancement has occurred in the last five years because of interest- economically driven- in the field. Imagine if similar incentives existed for other hard problems.
        grahamburger 7y ago
        People are bullish on them because they don't need to get anywhere near that bar to be useful. A car that can drive itself only on well maintained freeways during the day in good weather is still incredibly useful.
        brokenmachine 7y ago
        ...And even that still isn't close to happening. All we've seen so far is tarted-up driver assist systems that sometimes suddenly decide they don't want to be in control anymore, killing the actual driver or whoever happens to be unlucky enough to be in front of the vehicle. It's all hype. The problem is too difficult to solve with current technology without drastically changing the roads and removing humans altogether. Rio Tinto was able to get it working with a drastically limited scope on closed roads with infinite money. >Autonomous haul trucks are operated by a supervisory system and a central controller, rather than a driver. They use pre-defined GPS courses to automatically navigate haul roads and intersections and to know actual locations, speeds and directions of other vehicles at all times. https://www.riotinto.com/media/media-releases-237_23991.aspx https://www.riotinto.com/media/media-releases-237_23991.aspx
        chillacy 7y ago
        > unassisted in all weather conditions and on any roads that a human would drive If that's your goalpost for impact then of course it looks bleak. A mechanical loom doesn't have to be able to handle every type of thread and pattern a human can to change the nature of production, goods, and employment. Likewise a truck that can drive on freeways on 80% of days (and nights) would already be huge.
  - gowld 7y ago
    What's the point of curing cancer if there's nothing fun to live for?
0815test 7y ago
Research actually suggests that memorable experiences do yield sustained happiness, whereas transient ones or simply material goods do not. A handful of Facebook likes would probably not make you very happy in the longer run, but having your cure for cancer reach top spot on HN just might.
- FabHK 7y ago
  If I cured cancer (and I won't), I'd want an obituary in The Economist (at the apposite time), not make front page on HN.
  - 0815test 7y ago
    Ah, but would that obituary in The Economist make you happy? I suppose it depends on what exactly you mean by some "apposite" time!
  - beenBoutIT 7y ago
    IRL if you cured cancer almost no one would believe you and it would take decades before the treatment gained enough anecdotal steam to get officially recognized and FDA approved.
- brokenmachine 7y ago
  >Research actually suggests that memorable experiences do yield sustained happiness I agree with this. I have pictures from our holidays as a screensaver, and I feel a small happiness bump when I see them and think about the experiences.
danbolt 7y ago
I’ve pursued some worthwhile wants in the past, and I was surprised about how much they satisfied me. I think deep down it wasn’t the things that I acquired that made me happier, but the effort I took into taking care of myself that made me feel comforted. Obviously, that’s likely not the case with every desire, but it’s something that has struck me in the past few years.

by tlb 7y ago

alexwilde 7y ago

I find this hard to believe. If you cure cancer, that's a gift that keeps on giving. Imagine knowing day-in and day-out your work was all worth it and you continually save N lives YoY.

Apocryphon 7y ago
And yet, it is a common criticism that Silicon Valley is focused on building cat photo sharing apps, or on demand services, or whatever is the current defining stereotypical trend, than tackling the “big problems”, such as cancer. So certainly our economic structure incentivizes frivolous wants, which make investors happy and founders wealthy.
- tlb 7y ago
  Many, many people in SV are working on cancer and other really valuable things. Progress is slow because it's hard, not because nobody works on it.
  - Apocryphon 7y ago
    Mythical Man-Month and all that, but progress would probably be a little less slow if more people and organizations are incentivized to work on the same problem. See the progress on self-driving vehicles.
    - brokenmachine 7y ago
      >See the progress on self-driving vehicles. Self-driving vehicles are complete hype - so far from a reality it's ridiculous that people here still seem so bullish on them. Please show me a single vehicle that is anywhere close to being able to drive unassisted in all weather conditions and on any roads that a human would drive.
      - Apocryphon 7y ago
        Regardless of their product viability, doubtless an immense amount of advancement has occurred in the last five years because of interest- economically driven- in the field. Imagine if similar incentives existed for other hard problems.
      - grahamburger 7y ago
        People are bullish on them because they don't need to get anywhere near that bar to be useful. A car that can drive itself only on well maintained freeways during the day in good weather is still incredibly useful.
        brokenmachine 7y ago
        ...And even that still isn't close to happening. All we've seen so far is tarted-up driver assist systems that sometimes suddenly decide they don't want to be in control anymore, killing the actual driver or whoever happens to be unlucky enough to be in front of the vehicle. It's all hype. The problem is too difficult to solve with current technology without drastically changing the roads and removing humans altogether. Rio Tinto was able to get it working with a drastically limited scope on closed roads with infinite money. >Autonomous haul trucks are operated by a supervisory system and a central controller, rather than a driver. They use pre-defined GPS courses to automatically navigate haul roads and intersections and to know actual locations, speeds and directions of other vehicles at all times. https://www.riotinto.com/media/media-releases-237_23991.aspx https://www.riotinto.com/media/media-releases-237_23991.aspx
      - chillacy 7y ago
        > unassisted in all weather conditions and on any roads that a human would drive If that's your goalpost for impact then of course it looks bleak. A mechanical loom doesn't have to be able to handle every type of thread and pattern a human can to change the nature of production, goods, and employment. Likewise a truck that can drive on freeways on 80% of days (and nights) would already be huge.
- gowld 7y ago
  What's the point of curing cancer if there's nothing fun to live for?

0815test 7y ago

Research actually suggests that memorable experiences do yield sustained happiness, whereas transient ones or simply material goods do not. A handful of Facebook likes would probably not make you very happy in the longer run, but having your cure for cancer reach top spot on HN just might.

FabHK 7y ago
If I cured cancer (and I won't), I'd want an obituary in The Economist (at the apposite time), not make front page on HN.
- 0815test 7y ago
  Ah, but would that obituary in The Economist make you happy? I suppose it depends on what exactly you mean by some "apposite" time!
- beenBoutIT 7y ago
  IRL if you cured cancer almost no one would believe you and it would take decades before the treatment gained enough anecdotal steam to get officially recognized and FDA approved.
brokenmachine 7y ago
>Research actually suggests that memorable experiences do yield sustained happiness I agree with this. I have pictures from our holidays as a screensaver, and I feel a small happiness bump when I see them and think about the experiences.

danbolt 7y ago

I’ve pursued some worthwhile wants in the past, and I was surprised about how much they satisfied me. I think deep down it wasn’t the things that I acquired that made me happier, but the effort I took into taking care of myself that made me feel comforted. Obviously, that’s likely not the case with every desire, but it’s something that has struck me in the past few years.