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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reward_system#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reward_system#History "When rats were tested in Skinner boxes where they coul
by CoolGuySteve 7y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reward_system#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reward_system#History
"When rats were tested in Skinner boxes where they could stimulate the reward system by pressing a lever, the rats pressed for hours."
I guess the author's definition of lotus-eaters is similar to the rat experiment mentioned above. There is something about the satisficing and infantilizing nature of tech companies that seems engineered to keep employees complacent about work that's just okay but maybe not challenging or rewarding.
The story is a good analogy but the tone of the article is weird and condescending.
- unbalancedevh 7y ago> The story is a good analogy but the tone of the article is weird and condescending. In think that's part of the point. And at the end he realizes that maybe he's not any different than the lotus-eaters; or, that the lotus-eaters are more like him than he thinks.
- throw_14JAS 7y agoInterestingly, the rat park experiments have been reinterpreted. I am not an expert, but I believe one acceptable interpretation is that rats with a sense of connection and socialization don't press the levers as much. We are all lotus eaters - it is defined to be "the things I think makes others soft or vulnerable". The author's value of austerity comes across to me like Mother Teresa's belief that suffering is noble and brings you closer to god. I don't share that belief, but certainly have my own lotus behaviors.