What really helps is mortality and our inbred need to leave a legacy. It is better to pick a project with low probability of success than none at all. That can help you stick with something you only estimate to have a low chance of success, at least long enough to have sunk costs kick in. Does for me anyway.
This mechanism may only work for one man projects, or work in tight knit groups like bands of musicians. Your contribution to a big project doesn’t feel like a legacy to the same degree.
Good point. Isn’t that a bit neurotic though? I pretty much avoid dreaming about any kind of legacy (apart from kids), because that would be setting myself up for unhappiness in old age.
What really helps is mortality and our inbred need to leave a legacy. It is better to pick a project with low probability of success than none at all. That can help you stick with something you only estimate to have a low chance of success, at least long enough to have sunk costs kick in. Does for me anyway.
This mechanism may only work for one man projects, or work in tight knit groups like bands of musicians. Your contribution to a big project doesn’t feel like a legacy to the same degree.
Good point. Isn’t that a bit neurotic though? I pretty much avoid dreaming about any kind of legacy (apart from kids), because that would be setting myself up for unhappiness in old age.