22 days ago
- Dishwashers save little time because dish usage increases to match capacity, leading to more elaborate dish use.
- AI similarly generates and fixes bugs, increasing code output without reducing work time, questioning efficiency gains.
- Optimization often feels zero-sum; increasing productivity doesn't necessarily enhance well-being or happiness.
- Hard tasks, like physical labor or psychological challenges, may build resilience and meaning, suggesting not all should be optimized away.
- Lifestyles vary from survivalist to executive, with no clear evidence that easier lives maximize fulfillment.
- Delegating physical tasks and then paying for exercise highlights contradictions in modern optimization.
- Psychological hardships, embraced by Stoics, might be necessary for personal growth and 'ungettable goat' resilience.
- Imperfections, like a noisy dishwasher or annoying people, could serve a purpose in fostering resilience.
- Holistic optimization should consider that some inefficiencies or 'bugs' might be beneficial in the broader ecosystem.
- The balance between overoptimization and waste is complex, requiring careful consideration of what truly adds value.