I have no patience for developing valuable skills

[Twentyfirst]

Hofstadter's Law

 

Hofstadter's Law is a witty adage stating, "It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law," co-authored by Douglas Hofstadter, highlighting our chronic underestimation of task duration, especially complex ones, due to cognitive biases like optimism and failing to see hidden steps (the "Planning Fallacy"). It serves as a reminder to build buffers, break down tasks, and practice patience, as even experienced individuals fall prey to this tendency to over-optimistic timelines, affecting everything from software projects to writing essays. 

 

 

Key Aspects:

Self-Referential: The law's humor comes from its recursive nature, acknowledging that even when aware of the tendency to underestimate, we still do it.

Planning Fallacy: It's deeply connected to this cognitive bias where we ignore past experiences and focus too much on potential ease, not complexity.

Cognitive Roots: Our brains are wired to be optimistic, failing to account for all sub-tasks and unforeseen issues, says a YouTube video. 

 

Examples:

Mega-Projects: The Sydney Opera House and Wembley Stadium famously ran years behind schedule, despite expert management.

Student Essays: Students might estimate 10 days for an essay but finish it one day before the deadline, notes The Guardian article. 

 

Solutions (from the Law's Implications):

Buffer Time: Add significant contingency to estimates.

Break Down Tasks: Divide large projects into smaller, manageable chunks.

Monitor Progress: Use regular reviews (like in Agile) to adjust plans.

Practice Patience: View delays as normal and opportunities for growth, not failure.

[Human Mint]

Yeah this isn't just you, it's a modern epidemic. It is having a lot of options but not committing to anything. You're so spoiled that you think you know stuff and so you never do hardship work, but this actually ends up harming you. You'll die soon, everyday without working towards your purpose makes it harder.

That is like the blackpill.

On the other hand nowadays you have everything in your favor. If you work on your purpose you can max it out like crazy.

Edited 6 hours ago by Human Mint

[Twentyfirst]

11 minutes ago, Human Mint said:

On the other hand nowadays you have everything in your favor. If you work on your purpose you can max it out like crazy.

Yeah, all the work you do today automatically comes with "extra credit" because of how many tools there are available. For every 1 brick you lay there are 10 bricks that get counted. The infrastructure is already set up.