From: Damien Broderick (d.broderick@english.unimelb.edu.au)
Date: Wed Apr 24 2002 - 21:27:32 MDT
At 10:46 PM 4/24/02 -0400, Eliezer wrote:
>>this account
>> misses the point: you derive satisfaction *in the moment* by working on
>> what you regard *then and there* as meaningful.
>I think *that* misses the point; the satisfaction *helps* you do the work
>but is not the *object* of the work. The object of philanthropy is not to
>feel good about helping people but to actually help people
Yeah, yeah; the object of sex, then, is to make babies and bond the
community. The object of eating is to promote metabolism. The object of
climbing a mountain is because it's there. Whatever. I'm arguing that the
satisfaction of work is in its meaningfulness *as you do it*, not in
waiting until later to find out whether the consequences turned out the way
you hoped. Obviously part of that real-time satisfaction lies in your
anticipation of certain consequences.
`Wadda we want?'
`Deferred gratification!'
`Wenna we want it?'
`In due course!'
Damien Broderick
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