I think cousin_it was going for “having one’s desires feel strongly, proportional to the amount they really want it”, rather than partly saying “I really want X, but my more immediate desires that I don’t ‘really want’ are desires I feel/experience much more strongly and end up being something I want to but find difficulty struggling against.”
ie, I’m guessing the point was ultimately an akrasia issue.
I find a helpful counterweight to the near mode is to keep an intuition pump close at hand. A small collection of readily available facts and anecdotes about one’s Cause, and what one plans to do about it, needs to be curated frequently but is most definitely worth it.
This alone would’ve been the most useful rationalist technique ever if it worked. But it doesn’t work. Wanting to want doesn’t make me want.
That said, best of wishes on your quest!
Hm? Brennan isn’t changing his desires, he’s simply noticing them.
I think cousin_it was going for “having one’s desires feel strongly, proportional to the amount they really want it”, rather than partly saying “I really want X, but my more immediate desires that I don’t ‘really want’ are desires I feel/experience much more strongly and end up being something I want to but find difficulty struggling against.”
ie, I’m guessing the point was ultimately an akrasia issue.
I find a helpful counterweight to the near mode is to keep an intuition pump close at hand. A small collection of readily available facts and anecdotes about one’s Cause, and what one plans to do about it, needs to be curated frequently but is most definitely worth it.