Note: This is a repost, as the original was posted as a question instead of an actual post.
I have seen hell, but remain unchanged The poorest animals are still in chains Their blood is still dripping Their mouths are still screaming and I do nothing but dis’gage.
The problem is large, and my hands are small. I cannot simply barge into their little stall.
Such actions would be useless since I would be toothless More subtle work would need to be done.
But such would take time, and effort, and skill! Many more resources than I have at will. My comparative advantage is math over manage. So to spend resources on such a plot… well… to be favorable, it would not.
Instead I should choose an action, a bill which plays to my strengths, the topology o’ the hill. an action indeed, focused on math an action we need, what action is that?
It must be good, it must be pure it must resonate with me to my core. For I know myself, and my willpower is low I must remain motivated else take a big blow.
To focus on learning, and building my strengths is very much rewarding, but comes with some stakes: for I may miss a window of opportunity in which I could act and effect disproportion’ly
Or perhaps I become stuck in a state in which I keep saying “don’t act! Just wait”
Instead maybe I should do projects and feats using those little skills I have at my feets the problem with this is that it is boring (or possibly I just haven’t found a job that is charming.)
A false dichotomy indeed, this I know I can work on projects and yet still grow but now we ask: what proportion of each? How often to work, how often to teach?
[Repost] A poem on struggling with personal cause prioritization
Note: This is a repost, as the original was posted as a question instead of an actual post.
I have seen hell, but remain unchanged
The poorest animals are still in chains
Their blood is still dripping
Their mouths are still screaming
and I do nothing but dis’gage.
The problem is large,
and my hands are small.
I cannot simply barge
into their little stall.
Such actions would be useless
since I would be toothless
More subtle work would need to be done.
But such would take time, and effort, and skill!
Many more resources than I have at will.
My comparative advantage
is math over manage.
So to spend resources on such a plot…
well… to be favorable, it would not.
Instead I should choose an action, a bill
which plays to my strengths, the topology o’ the hill.
an action indeed, focused on math
an action we need, what action is that?
It must be good, it must be pure
it must resonate with me to my core.
For I know myself, and my willpower is low
I must remain motivated else take a big blow.
To focus on learning, and building my strengths
is very much rewarding, but comes with some stakes:
for I may miss a window of opportunity
in which I could act and effect disproportion’ly
Or perhaps I become stuck in a state
in which I keep saying “don’t act! Just wait”
Instead maybe I should do projects and feats
using those little skills I have at my feets
the problem with this is that it is boring
(or possibly I just haven’t found a job that is charming.)
A false dichotomy indeed, this I know
I can work on projects and yet still grow
but now we ask: what proportion of each?
How often to work, how often to teach?