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It's true that there's an answer in the article, but it's not a really satisfying one. This is 1½ hours each day for ten years; that's about 5500 hours. Think

It's true that there's an answer in the article, but it's not a really satisfying one. This is 1½ hours each day for ten years; that's about 5500 hours. Think what you could do with that time! In a thousand hours, you could build a high-performance airplane. Ten years of practicing a musical instrument 1½ hours a day, you could be performing on a very high level. You could be fluent in a foreign language, learn advanced math, become a skilled gunsmith, have written several books, or have read a couple thousand books. Or you could have poked around a video game. To me, and a lot of other people, there's a real opportunity cost this person has been willing to assume, and I'm not about to pretend I think it was worth it.

leetcrew 7y ago
if you're able to actually spend 1.5 hours every day working on an airplane, practicing guitar, or learning math, that's great! but for a lot of people (or just me at least), by the time they've worked eight hours, gone to the gym, and eaten dinner, they don't have a lot of energy left for practicing a skill or working on a side project. some people (possibly you) are still brimming with energy and curiosity and will keep working on stuff until late in the night. what I'm trying to say is, not all hours are interchangeable in terms of opportunity cost. it should be okay to just be totally unproductive for one or two hours out of the days. not everyone can accomplish something meaningful in every single hour.
- JasonFruit 7y ago
  That's certainly true, and I waste time, too. Everyone does. To me, if obviously not to everyone, doing some of these other things has been rejuvenating and energizing. It is okay to waste time, or fritter it away doing something you value and nobody else does; I felt it important to say, though, that I don't think this was a laudable achievement.
marcinzm 7y ago
>You could be fluent in a foreign language, learn advanced math, become a skilled gunsmith, have written several books, or have read a couple thousand books. Why? Why are any of those things worth doing or learning? Because you say they are?
- JasonFruit 7y ago
  Because they produce value in the real world by producing something or making you more knowledgeable or capable. If you're not able to distinguish a difference between that and exploring an imaginary world, I don't know that there's anything I can say to help you.
  - marcinzm 7y ago
    >Because they produce value in the real world by producing something or making you more knowledgeable or capable. So there's no value in happiness and joy according to you? If something doesn't produce something or teach you something it is worthless? If your view on life is that bleak then I don't know that there's anything I can say to help you.
    - JasonFruit 7y ago
      I think you're engaging in the kind of argument my happiness and joy would be greater without.
    - galaxyLogic 7y ago
      Certainly there is value in "entertainment". But if that's all we do then it's like always eating ice-cream :-) Does entertainment bring lasting joy? Yes if it teaches you something valuable. A great book a great play. Maybe in the future we have "great games". But a point about a great book is you don't keep reading it over and over again. That brings diminishing returns. Game addiction benefits game merchants. Heroin addiction benefits heroin merchants. Books? They benefit the author of the book but you don't get addicted to a book. You may learn something from it about joy and love and life and once you acquire that learning you have it you don't need to read the book again every day.
imtringued 7y ago
I don't get what you're trying to say. Even if this person followed one of your paths there is still a real opportunity cost that remains. There is almost by definition always a better way to spend your time than what you are currently doing. If you want to be a cog there are better ways to be a cog. Especially in an age of extreme centralization, where you are matters far more than who you are.

leetcrew 7y ago

if you're able to actually spend 1.5 hours every day working on an airplane, practicing guitar, or learning math, that's great! but for a lot of people (or just me at least), by the time they've worked eight hours, gone to the gym, and eaten dinner, they don't have a lot of energy left for practicing a skill or working on a side project. some people (possibly you) are still brimming with energy and curiosity and will keep working on stuff until late in the night. what I'm trying to say is, not all hours are interchangeable in terms of opportunity cost. it should be okay to just be totally unproductive for one or two hours out of the days. not everyone can accomplish something meaningful in every single hour.

JasonFruit 7y ago
That's certainly true, and I waste time, too. Everyone does. To me, if obviously not to everyone, doing some of these other things has been rejuvenating and energizing. It is okay to waste time, or fritter it away doing something you value and nobody else does; I felt it important to say, though, that I don't think this was a laudable achievement.

marcinzm 7y ago

>You could be fluent in a foreign language, learn advanced math, become a skilled gunsmith, have written several books, or have read a couple thousand books. Why? Why are any of those things worth doing or learning? Because you say they are?

JasonFruit 7y ago
Because they produce value in the real world by producing something or making you more knowledgeable or capable. If you're not able to distinguish a difference between that and exploring an imaginary world, I don't know that there's anything I can say to help you.
- marcinzm 7y ago
  >Because they produce value in the real world by producing something or making you more knowledgeable or capable. So there's no value in happiness and joy according to you? If something doesn't produce something or teach you something it is worthless? If your view on life is that bleak then I don't know that there's anything I can say to help you.
  - JasonFruit 7y ago
    I think you're engaging in the kind of argument my happiness and joy would be greater without.
  - galaxyLogic 7y ago
    Certainly there is value in "entertainment". But if that's all we do then it's like always eating ice-cream :-) Does entertainment bring lasting joy? Yes if it teaches you something valuable. A great book a great play. Maybe in the future we have "great games". But a point about a great book is you don't keep reading it over and over again. That brings diminishing returns. Game addiction benefits game merchants. Heroin addiction benefits heroin merchants. Books? They benefit the author of the book but you don't get addicted to a book. You may learn something from it about joy and love and life and once you acquire that learning you have it you don't need to read the book again every day.

imtringued 7y ago

I don't get what you're trying to say. Even if this person followed one of your paths there is still a real opportunity cost that remains. There is almost by definition always a better way to spend your time than what you are currently doing. If you want to be a cog there are better ways to be a cog. Especially in an age of extreme centralization, where you are matters far more than who you are.