I don’t think this is a coincidence—in general I think it’s much easier for people to do great research and actually figure stuff out when they’re viscerally interested in the problems they’re tackling, and excited about the process of doing that work.
Like, all else equal, work being fun and invigorating is obviously a good thing? I’m open to people arguing that the benefits of creating a depressing environment are greater (even if just in the form of vignettes like I did above), e.g. because it spurs people to do better policy work. But falling into unsustainable depressing environments which cause harmful side effects seems like a common trap, so I’m pretty cautious about it.
in general I think it’s much easier for people to do great research and actually figure stuff out when they’re viscerally interested in the problems they’re tackling, and excited about the process of doing that work.
Totally. But OP kinda made it sound like the fact that you found 2 depressing was evidence it was the wrong direction. I think advocacy could be fun and full of its own fascinating logistical and intellectual questions as well as lots of satisfying hands-on work.
That too, but there was a clear indication that 1 would be fun and invigorating and 2 would be depressing.
I don’t think this is a coincidence—in general I think it’s much easier for people to do great research and actually figure stuff out when they’re viscerally interested in the problems they’re tackling, and excited about the process of doing that work.
Like, all else equal, work being fun and invigorating is obviously a good thing? I’m open to people arguing that the benefits of creating a depressing environment are greater (even if just in the form of vignettes like I did above), e.g. because it spurs people to do better policy work. But falling into unsustainable depressing environments which cause harmful side effects seems like a common trap, so I’m pretty cautious about it.
Totally. But OP kinda made it sound like the fact that you found 2 depressing was evidence it was the wrong direction. I think advocacy could be fun and full of its own fascinating logistical and intellectual questions as well as lots of satisfying hands-on work.