Post #2021522

2026-04-26 02:57 UTC

@binsk I phrased it poorly. Delayed gratification is an important point, but it's not what I meant here. I mean literally, something like - "Here I am, playing guitar to my favourite songs, figuring out how to play them. Am I actually enjoying the process I'm engaging in? Does it feel like I'm having fun? Or am I just gritting my teeth and doing it to get to the other side, where I will know how to play these songs?" (Substitute hobby activity as appropriate.) This sort of thing is deceptively hard to determine. We're really good at fooling ourselves.

Replies (1)

@binsk@infosec.exchange 2026-04-26 17:42

@cazabon Thought about it for a bit. You're right, delayed gratification wouldn't be the right description. I'm not sure, to be honest. One can enjoy the anticipation of the acquisition of a skill, even if one does not enjoy the practicing while they're doing it. The part I'm wondering about is whether the person correctly anticipated whether they'll value (or even attain) the goal or skill when the practicing is done. I can think of instances where I didn't enjoy the work at a place I went to find out if I could make a difference. In that case, I found out I couldn't/didn't, but I still found the experience rewarding even if none of it was fun. Perhaps the goal was to find out the answer, even if the answer was no. The analysis of "what did I put in, and what did I get out of it" is always interesting, because the answers aren't always straightforward.

Open ##2021523