We all have things we like to do, or want to do. But do we really understand our own preferences and motivations? Do we really love what we do? Sometimes, we may be influenced by external factors, such as money, reputation, social pressure, etc., and ignore our inner voice. In order to help us understand ourselves better, I introduce to you a set of classic thought experiments that can be used to test whether you really like to do something.
- Collateral results: If I were to give you all the side results of doing this right now, would you be willing to continue doing it? For example, you are running to lose 20 pounds, but if you could lose 20 pounds in a healthier way right now, would you still be willing to run? This thought experiment can help us distinguish whether we are actually enjoying the process or whether we are just doing it to achieve a goal. If you do something just for the sake of it, you probably don’t really enjoy it, but rather the results. If you’re willing to keep doing something even though you’re getting results, you probably really enjoy it more than the results.
- No one knows: If there is something you can only do silently and cannot tell anyone, would you still be willing to do it? This thought experiment can help us distinguish whether we are really doing something for ourselves, or whether we are doing something for others or society. If you could only do something silently and could not get anyone’s praise, recognition, respect or envy, would you still be willing to do it? If you are unwilling to do something, then you probably don’t really enjoy it and are doing it just to satisfy other people’s or society’s expectations. If you’re willing to do something, you probably really enjoy it beyond the extrinsic rewards it brings you.
- Trade-off: Suppose you have two things you like, A and B. Now suddenly an alien comes and says that it can provide you with unlimited resources and slowly help you do A well in the rest of your life, but the premise is that you can never do B again in this life. Are you willing? Not willing to agree to it? This thought experiment can help us differentiate our preferences and priorities for different things. If you are unwilling to give up B, then it means that B is more important or meaningful to you. If you are willing to give up B, then it means A is more important or meaningful to you. Of course, this thought experiment can also be extended to comparisons and trade-offs between multiple options.
- Death: Finally, if you were destined to die ten years from now, would you still be willing to do this? This thought experiment can help us distinguish whether we really love doing something or whether we are doing it just to extend or escape life. If you knew your life was limited, would you still be willing to invest your time and energy in this matter? If you are unwilling to do something, it means it is not important or valuable to you. If you are willing to do something, it means that it is meaningful or valuable to you.
For decades to come in your life, you can ask yourself these questions from time to time. Through these thought experiments, you can understand your preferences and motivations more clearly, and better choose and arrange your life and work. I hope these thought experiments are inspiring and helpful to you.
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