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> There is an unimaginable amount of suffering in this world. Around 150,000 people die each day. About 5 million children die each year. Millions of people are maimed or killed by accident, disease, and violence. Considering this man's talents, I would much rather live in a world where he devoted himself to solving important problems. I realize he wouldn't be as happy, but the expected value in lives saved is quite high.

Most human suffering isn't just solved by smart people thinking hard about solving some problems. Most human suffering is caused by missing compassion for people.

> I've chosen a career geared toward maximizing my benefit to others, not my own happiness.

Sorry, but I don't think that's the case. You're doing what you do, because it feels right for you, so in a way you can't get happier by doing something else.

You might not follow the hedonistic path, but you're still doing what makes you most happy.

Given his upbringing, I would say he never had the potential in the first place. From how he talks about his time at NASA, it seems like he was used as an equation-solving tool 10 years.

“At that time, I led my life like a machine ― I woke up, solved the daily assigned equation, ate, slept, and so forth. I really didn’t know what I was doing, and I was lonely and had no friends,”

His choices now are the result of how NASA as an institution treated him.

Having the highest IQ is great for problem solving. But why should he empathize with the problems of the world when no one did the same for him?

You are applying your values to his life. You're of course welcome to do so, just realise that he has no obligation or reason to accept your judgement. It sounds like you do accept that which is great.

To me it is not sad that he has chosen to figure out what his own goals are and find a way to meet them. To you it is sad. Both those things are ok.

If you were to try to tell me that it is not ok for someone to figure out what their own goals are then I would have a problem with that.

I want to agree with you.

>Considering this man's talents, I would much rather live in a world where he devoted himself to solving important problems.

How do you realistically see this going down? Which specific problem should he work on?

If this were World's Strongest Man, it'd be laughable to ask them to cure something like malaria. Yet you expect it of this World's _____est Man?

>I realize he wouldn't be as happy, but the expected value in lives saved is quite high.

I'm glad you recognize the sacrifice. Perhaps he did the cost analysis, found an expected +0.7 human life experiences net gain, and settled for the guaranteed +1.0?

What do you work in? I'm not looking to judge, just curious, as I've been having similar thoughts lately.

And you think your suffering and your life aren't on the scales?

If you want to apply that argument you need to show that your individual, marginal contribution to the world's problems is large enough to justify burning up your life and soul for everyone else's benefit.

>Considering this man's talents, I would much rather live in a world where he devoted himself to solving important problems. I realize he wouldn't be as happy, but the expected value in lives saved is quite high.

I'm sure you have some problems in mind :rollseyes:.