*This is the most important and the list should work as Asimov’s laws do, ie you should implement parts 2 and three only as long as implementing part one works. Any rule you set for yourself that you hate will make you unhappier as you follow it and has a great chance of not being followed.
**This is the rule that allows you to follow the rule in a large variety of circumstances, without needing to waste cognitive effort or emotional strength on decisions. For example: An extremely simple rule for dieting is : “eat no carbohydrates”. This rule is pretty hard to enforce in that it constrains what you eat A LOT. If you find yourself regretting this decision, you need to follow rule 1 and modify the rule, while remembering rule 2. At the moment I go with: Eat few carbohydrates, except on Saturdays, where I may eat as many as I feel like. This leaves me happy to follow the rule, still keeps it pretty simple, and lets me lose weight.
*This is basically a way to say that you shouldn’t get fucked by really weird events, and that your rule probably doesn’t ALWAYS have plus ev consequences. EG, never eat carbs on weekdays is simple and easy to follow, but metarules about once in a lifetime events or things like weddings mean I won’t regret the rule. This is more of an elaboration on the “possible” part of rule 3 than anything else.
Rules should achieve their goals.
Rules should have positive or neutral affect*
Rules should be as simple as possible.**
Rules should have exceptions.*
*This is the most important and the list should work as Asimov’s laws do, ie you should implement parts 2 and three only as long as implementing part one works. Any rule you set for yourself that you hate will make you unhappier as you follow it and has a great chance of not being followed.
**This is the rule that allows you to follow the rule in a large variety of circumstances, without needing to waste cognitive effort or emotional strength on decisions. For example: An extremely simple rule for dieting is : “eat no carbohydrates”. This rule is pretty hard to enforce in that it constrains what you eat A LOT. If you find yourself regretting this decision, you need to follow rule 1 and modify the rule, while remembering rule 2. At the moment I go with: Eat few carbohydrates, except on Saturdays, where I may eat as many as I feel like. This leaves me happy to follow the rule, still keeps it pretty simple, and lets me lose weight.
*This is basically a way to say that you shouldn’t get fucked by really weird events, and that your rule probably doesn’t ALWAYS have plus ev consequences. EG, never eat carbs on weekdays is simple and easy to follow, but metarules about once in a lifetime events or things like weddings mean I won’t regret the rule. This is more of an elaboration on the “possible” part of rule 3 than anything else.