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If you describe yourself as an "ambitious 19 year old" (and ambition by itself is not necessarily a virtue) and if you tie your happiness to doing "something gr

by stiff 12y ago

If you describe yourself as an "ambitious 19 year old" (and ambition by itself is not necessarily a virtue) and if you tie your happiness to doing "something great", you are likely in for a very unhappy life. Everything we do, will ultimately be undone, if you extend the time horizon long enough. The greatest scientists, inventors, football players and political leaders get forgotten after a few generations, in fact whole civilizations have been living on this very earth, and were since erased from its surface, many of which we might have not a single trace left of. Being "great" in our culture typically accounts to beating hundreds of people, so by definition for every person who succeeds there will be hundreds of "loosers". This is a ridiculous game, and I think every wise person should refuse to participate in it in the first place and set their own priorities. You should do things to try to have a happy life from day to day, not to "get somewhere".

enscr 12y ago
Subtle & important yet widely misunderstood or misinterpreted. Being happy is important, not the other way round.
yebyen 12y ago
This seems like as good a place as any to bring up Great Ozymandias... I think I prefer Smith's version to Shelley's http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozymandias#Comparison_of_the_two_poems http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozymandias#Comparison_of_the_tw...
vbuterin 12y ago
> Everything we do, will ultimately be undone, if you extend the time horizon long enough. Well, not necessarily. Economics quite clearly says that the total future benefit of any amount of nonzero-benefit present activity, at least if measured in currency units, tends toward infinity; that's why we have interest rates and the concept of rent. Of course, it's not the optimal strategy for securing personal happiness unless you already know you have a solid chance, especially if you're shooting for the "remembered by humanity for all time" mark and not something more modest, but living for progress is a perfectly reasonable thing to do.
lispylol 12y ago
> This is a ridiculous game, and I think every wise person should refuse to participate in it in the first place and set their own priorities. Regardless of whether or not that 19yo ties his happiness to doing something great doesn't change the fact that he's going to be part of this game either directly or indirectly. I desperately want to believe that we can all lead a happy life simply by setting our own priorities. However, as warm and fuzzy as that can make me feel inside I just don't think it's true. Resources are scarce. There's going to be competition. In some places in the world there's heavy competition even if your priority is something as basic as water.
VLM 12y ago
Minor yet important interpretation error in you wrote "doing something great" yet obviously implied you wrote "being someone great".
mseebach 12y ago
> You should do things to try to have a happy life from day to day, not to "get somewhere". I read an article a while ago that resonated very strongly with me, particularly this bit: It is Mr Rottenberg’s view that the current vogue for the “pursuit of happiness” may perversely push certain people towards depression. Happiness, he argues, is the result of achieving a goal, rather than a goal itself. He cites recent evidence suggesting that depression or low mood can be triggered by setting unobtainable goals. Rather than becoming depressed because of underachievement, he suggests that perhaps depression is an overcommitment to goals that cannot be reached. http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21600653-calling-new-way-thinking-tidal-wave http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21600653-callin... > Being "great" in our culture typically accounts to beating hundreds of people, so by definition for every person who succeeds there will be hundreds of "loosers". Mostly in sports, which obviously is artificial. In real life, very few things are actually zero-sum. Who are the "losers" that Einstein beat? MLK, Ghandi? Jimi Hendrix? In general, I think your comment contains a false dichotomy. Yes, it's extremely unlikely that yours will become a household name for generations to come, but the alternative isn't that you're forgotten. Be something positive for someone else - start a family and be a good parent: whatever your children achieve (even if it's similarly modest) you will have had a part in that. Be a good friend, spouse, lover. Start a business, provide good jobs for your employees. Build a good library/tool that you and your peers need. You can easily touch dozens and hundreds of lives, but in a small way, and they then build on top of that. Just because they don't build you a statue on the town square, it doesn't mean your work is undone.

by stiff 12y ago

enscr 12y ago

Subtle & important yet widely misunderstood or misinterpreted. Being happy is important, not the other way round.

yebyen 12y ago

This seems like as good a place as any to bring up Great Ozymandias... I think I prefer Smith's version to Shelley's http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozymandias#Comparison_of_the_two_poems http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozymandias#Comparison_of_the_tw...

vbuterin 12y ago

> Everything we do, will ultimately be undone, if you extend the time horizon long enough. Well, not necessarily. Economics quite clearly says that the total future benefit of any amount of nonzero-benefit present activity, at least if measured in currency units, tends toward infinity; that's why we have interest rates and the concept of rent. Of course, it's not the optimal strategy for securing personal happiness unless you already know you have a solid chance, especially if you're shooting for the "remembered by humanity for all time" mark and not something more modest, but living for progress is a perfectly reasonable thing to do.

lispylol 12y ago

> This is a ridiculous game, and I think every wise person should refuse to participate in it in the first place and set their own priorities. Regardless of whether or not that 19yo ties his happiness to doing something great doesn't change the fact that he's going to be part of this game either directly or indirectly. I desperately want to believe that we can all lead a happy life simply by setting our own priorities. However, as warm and fuzzy as that can make me feel inside I just don't think it's true. Resources are scarce. There's going to be competition. In some places in the world there's heavy competition even if your priority is something as basic as water.

VLM 12y ago

Minor yet important interpretation error in you wrote "doing something great" yet obviously implied you wrote "being someone great".

mseebach 12y ago

> You should do things to try to have a happy life from day to day, not to "get somewhere". I read an article a while ago that resonated very strongly with me, particularly this bit: It is Mr Rottenberg’s view that the current vogue for the “pursuit of happiness” may perversely push certain people towards depression. Happiness, he argues, is the result of achieving a goal, rather than a goal itself. He cites recent evidence suggesting that depression or low mood can be triggered by setting unobtainable goals. Rather than becoming depressed because of underachievement, he suggests that perhaps depression is an overcommitment to goals that cannot be reached. http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21600653-calling-new-way-thinking-tidal-wave http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21600653-callin... > Being "great" in our culture typically accounts to beating hundreds of people, so by definition for every person who succeeds there will be hundreds of "loosers". Mostly in sports, which obviously is artificial. In real life, very few things are actually zero-sum. Who are the "losers" that Einstein beat? MLK, Ghandi? Jimi Hendrix? In general, I think your comment contains a false dichotomy. Yes, it's extremely unlikely that yours will become a household name for generations to come, but the alternative isn't that you're forgotten. Be something positive for someone else - start a family and be a good parent: whatever your children achieve (even if it's similarly modest) you will have had a part in that. Be a good friend, spouse, lover. Start a business, provide good jobs for your employees. Build a good library/tool that you and your peers need. You can easily touch dozens and hundreds of lives, but in a small way, and they then build on top of that. Just because they don't build you a statue on the town square, it doesn't mean your work is undone.