so there is an interesting part of Hinduism (and much of eastern philosophy) which is about "karma" which loosely translates to "work."
the reason to work or act is for the sake of work, not for the results. it is the attachment to results which is "maximizer" behavior. if one could work w/o attachment, that is the sweet spot you are looking for.
this is an interesting article that make a similar point
he Rebel Physicist on the Hunt for a Better Story Than Quantum Mechanics
“There was this moral aspect of working,” he said, “which now in a sense is lost.” Young people now, he said, are too concerned with “success” and “being known.”
“Success is nothing,” his father taught him. “Proper work is what counts.”
This is a great point! I think that lesson - the benefit of working without attachment to results - was one of my biggest takeaways from the Bhagavad Gita. It such a paradigm shift. I think there's two interesting questions here. One is "What should I work on?" and the other is "Once I've chosen what to work on, how should I relate to that work?"
If I just decided to believe that I am on the best path, I think maybe I'd achieve less but be happier. Then again, maybe I'd achieve more because I'd be happier. Or, I would achieve less but it wouldn't matter because achieving happiness is worth more than whatever I might have otherwise achieved. 🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
while this idea of believing in "that you are on the best path — that you’re living the life you’re supposed to be living? " sounds really good, what if you are seeing worst outcome of the decision you have taken in past and you are suffering due to that and more on that you see that there is no way or turmoil way to come out from it ? how to deal with that? how to be satisficer and remain calm in that?
so there is an interesting part of Hinduism (and much of eastern philosophy) which is about "karma" which loosely translates to "work."
the reason to work or act is for the sake of work, not for the results. it is the attachment to results which is "maximizer" behavior. if one could work w/o attachment, that is the sweet spot you are looking for.
this is an interesting article that make a similar point
he Rebel Physicist on the Hunt for a Better Story Than Quantum Mechanics
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/25/magazine/angelo-bassi-quantum-mechanic.html
“There was this moral aspect of working,” he said, “which now in a sense is lost.” Young people now, he said, are too concerned with “success” and “being known.”
“Success is nothing,” his father taught him. “Proper work is what counts.”
This is a great point! I think that lesson - the benefit of working without attachment to results - was one of my biggest takeaways from the Bhagavad Gita. It such a paradigm shift. I think there's two interesting questions here. One is "What should I work on?" and the other is "Once I've chosen what to work on, how should I relate to that work?"
If I just decided to believe that I am on the best path, I think maybe I'd achieve less but be happier. Then again, maybe I'd achieve more because I'd be happier. Or, I would achieve less but it wouldn't matter because achieving happiness is worth more than whatever I might have otherwise achieved. 🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
Your words, perspective, and honesty are like water for my soul. Thank you for your writing. I feel so seen in the most ~maximizer~ way. :)
Thank you so much Olivia :) I'm so glad it resonated with you.
while this idea of believing in "that you are on the best path — that you’re living the life you’re supposed to be living? " sounds really good, what if you are seeing worst outcome of the decision you have taken in past and you are suffering due to that and more on that you see that there is no way or turmoil way to come out from it ? how to deal with that? how to be satisficer and remain calm in that?