Addiction and Balance

jesperbylund.com

15 points·raelmiu··6 comments

I pulled together some great tweets about addiction in normal startup life, like being addicted to working hard, being productive.

What do you think? What's your strategy to live well instead of chasing the old high?

Before enlightenment; chop wood, haul water.

After enlightenment; chop wood, haul water.

... Does this really apply now when vanishingly few people do either of these ever, much less daily?

the "Mexican Fisherman" story fits in here too.

I think the purpose of the metaphor is that external activity and internal state are non-correlated.

With great intensity and interest chopping wood (or coding or whatever) can be really fascinating. Without interest most activities are chores.

> People can be addicted to ANYTHING that releases dopamine. And we are all doing it constantly in an unnatural way. > > This means that everything that triggers in you an excited, focused, joyful moment can be addicting.

Oh no, not this again. Dopamine isn't the thing that makes you feel euphoric, that comes from opioids.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/women-who-stray/20...

I don't mention euphoric at all, Scott Alexander mentions it but I think he's talking about a general pleasant impulse rather than euphoria.

Are you saying dopamine does not work like this?

I see. Reading the article you linked I understand the frustration.

This dopamine view is a little oversimplified.

Does is significantly change the argument though? Even if dopamine is not the mechanism, the activities are still pleasurable?

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