> On Nov 1, 2:16 am, Colin Dickerman <collin.silvern...@gmail.com>
> wrote:

> > Maybe happiness is overrated.

> > Maybe the human animal was never meant and isn't able to really be
> > happy and it's just an abstract idea we've made up with no correlation
> > to reality?

> > On Oct 31, 7:42 pm, Arky <kenneth.bruskiew...@gmail.com> wrote:

> > > Hehehehe.

> > > So, it's uncertain that N-Back increases intelligence, or working
> > > memory, in healthy individuals. Both are factors that contribute to
> > > academic success; both are factors that are important in
> > > intellectually demanding jobs such as programming.

> > > So far so good. It's understandable why persons flock to the ML
> > > looking for ways to improve these things. But given the investment of
> > > time, and the uncertainties involved, is it worth it?

> > > Intelligence is seen as a Good Thing, and so is academic success. But
> > > the key word is "seen": intelligence and educational attainment
> > > doesn't correlate with happiness, and for anyone that has an I.Q. over
> > > 115, which is about a standard deviation on most I.Q. tests, then hard
> > > work is what decides your level of life satisfaction. (Diener et. al
> > > 2009 and Ross & Van WIligen et al 1997. Gotta love lukeprog) Why,
> > > thus, are mailing-listers seeking one to two standard deviation gains,
> > > or at least get enamored when they're hinted?

> > > I'm going to assume that if you can stand to argue cogently on the ML,
> > > you've surpassed this 115 point threshold. So there should be *no
> > > rational reason* why you should be doing n-back for I.Q. gains, _*if*
> > > what you're looking for is a happy life_.

> > > "But what about university? What about my peers who are racing past me
> > > on exams?". What about it? Learning is great, for sure -- but if
> > > you're going to university for learning, then try dropping in to a
> > > crowded lecture hall, or make some friends to study with while not
> > > actually paying a dime. Many universities have their libraries blown
> > > open for public frequenting; there's that option, even if you don't
> > > get to use their labs. Not being graded means you can learn to your
> > > own standard, and that standard doesn't have to demand being better
> > > than someone else, or getting over a certain percentage -- both of
> > > which are potentially emotionally taxing.

> > > "How about money? Doesn't intelligence get me more money" If you're in
> > > a job, it's hard to leave it, that much I understand. There are ways
> > > of making a little into a lot, like moving to a country with a less
> > > valuable currency than yours, or becoming more of an aesthete. And
> > > oftentimes what we confuse for wanting more money could be last-place
> > > aversion bias, or survivorship bias, or any one of the numerous ways
> > > we get "tricked" into being more unhappy than we could be. As far as I
> > > can tell, the best way to get around those are just mindfulness and
> > > gratitude, not N-Back.

> > > It seems to me as if intelligence isn't that important for acquiring
> > > things other than status signals, if, once again, the goal is to lead
> > > a happy or content life, relatively free from stress or wont. So N-
> > > Back is time wasted, or at least better spent elsewhere. Perhaps there
> > > is some greater sense of self-actualization that one tries to appeal
> > > to, when one does dual n-back -- how far does the rabbit hole goal for
> > > my brain? But there are drugs that serve that purpose much more
> > > quickly and comprehensively...

> > > I'm a young and arrogant lad with no dependents, so  when I enter uni
> > > and get a real job, maybe I'll think differently. I don't have a lot
> > > of money or time on the line right now, and that could definitely
> > > affect my priorities. Just trying to figure it out now.

> > > Fin. Eat it alive, folks!