ramblings

In some sense, we need to make choices practically every day. Actually, I’m not sure this is true. It’s hard to decide whether to support the assertion of 2 sentences ago.

Here are some examples of some choices that I’ve thought about lately:

• What should I write in this blog post?
• What direction should I pursue in my research project?
• Where to live?
• What classes should I take?
• Should I get out of bed right now?
• What career to pursue?
• Is it worthwhile to spend a Saturday hiking instead of doing math?
• What’s the cutoff for giving up on a math problem for today? forever?
• Should I do this thing that I want to do, even if it conflicts with what someone else wants me to do?

Some times for me choice can feel very paralyzing. I try to minimize unneccessary choices. Maybe that’s why I eat eggs and pasta every day.

How should one make a choice? Well, if there is a dominant strategy that’s always nice. I.e., there is a choice that is strictly better than other choices. But this is probably quite rare. More often it’s pretty hard to say what the outcomes of a choice will be.

I think having a set of personal “axioms”, or defined objectives can also be quite good. Analyzing whether a choice is optimal in the abstract can seem impossible. But if you have some concrete things, then it’s easier to score the possible choices. For example, if you put one of your top objectives as “create and share cool ideas” this might make it easier to decide between trying to get a bunch of cash and doing research over the summer.

Sometimes even very obvious choices can be hard; this is fairly irrational. For instance, imagine that a bunch of people just jumped off a cliff into a pool of water a short fall below. And it was totally safe. Sorry if you haven’t gone cliff jumping this might not make so much sense. Maybe talking to someone new is a better example.

This highlights another important strategy when decision making: don’t over-think. Go with what you sense is right. Don’t plan too much. If you know that something is right, just do it. No point wasting computational resources if you can first make your move, see what happens and then react to that.

Another thought is that delaying things is almost always bad.

summary

Maybe to finish I can list some choices that I hope to live. I loosely group these by guiding principle / axiom that pertains to the choice.

• Create & share cool ideas
  • talk to everyone, including ppl you haven’t met yet about cool math stuff: the journey
  • perservere!
  • especially cool if you can set up env for a concentrated effort
  • positively appraise self for effort not results
  • plan & rehearse especially while biking
• Treat myself well
  • get good sleep
  • don’t indulge in pessimism
• Treat others well
  • take interest in other ppl
  • no half-way: it’s ok to debate whether or not to pursue an activity, but if you’re already there go all-in for it. (e.g., if you wanted to do something else, don’t repeatedly say oh we should’ve done this other thing)
• Be 真诚
  • be careful with sarcasm
  • if things are clearly right just send it

finish

ok, well, I’m not sure what this turned into really. But I will conclude with three more things: some quotes from Alek and Brandon Sanderson.

1. “The definition of choice is intentional action. So often we are content to merely glide along with 0 diff day to day. But when we chose we truly live.” -Alek

2. “I may not choose how I feel. Burning enthusiasm may wane cold. I may not choose the course of events. Maybe all strategies run into a wall. But I can choose how I will act. And that’s the most important.” -Alek

3. Those words came to me from one who claimed to have seen the future. ‘How is this possible?’ I asked in return. ‘Have you been touched by the void?’ The reply was laughter. ‘No, sweet king. The past is the future, and as each man has lived, so must you.’ ‘So I can but repeat what has been done before?’ ‘In some things, yes. You will love. You will hurt. You will dream. And you will die. Each man’s past is your future.’ ‘Then what is the point?’ I asked. ‘If all has been seen and done?’ ‘The question,’ she replied, ‘is not whether you will love, hurt, dream, and die. It is what you will love, why you will hurt, when you will dream, and how you will die. This is your choice. You cannot pick the destination, only the path.’ - Sanderson