"Get it done" vs "Get what done?"

[Hygro]

How do you balance seeking knowledge of your topic with acting on your knowledge? Too much knowledge makes action hard because you haven't processed it all into your body, and are thus consumed with doubt. Too much specific education in one area of your realm can pull you from your general understanding of what is relevant or useful. Not enough means you're probably going to go the wrong way or be ill equipped for the consequences of your actions.

How do you balance this such that you act the most, but do the most good with your acts?

 

[Timsup2nothin]

I don't. I am only peripherally concerned with doing actual good with my acts. If something looks to have good outcomes in the short term it may not in the long term anyway. I try to maintain a steady flow of good intentions, then let the chips fall where they may.

 

[Kozmos]

I'm not sure what the vagueness is referring to. I simply do stuff, sometimes basing it on rational modules as shown by Less Wrong sequences and sometimes being guided by irrational desires (but aware of it and costs they incur). Given the extreme randomness and sometimes seeming malignity of Fortune, one should not break his head too much regarding analysis paralysis and optimal outcomes. The devil takes his due one way or another.

 

[Phrossack]

Are you asking whether we know what to do but don't do it, or we want to do something but we don't know what it is? Give us an example, I'm not sure what the question is.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

Know about stuff that you will do or plan to do within 3 months. More than that is optional.

 

[Berzerker]

its git r done

larry the cable guy

 

[Ayatollah So]

I think that most people underestimate how much knowledge/understanding is useful. So I always try to keep some activity devoted to gaining more. But that doesn't mean you can't "get r done" at the same time with lots of practical activities. Practical activities lead to lots of knowledge too (including a lot that is unconscious - muscle memories, etc).

If you're willing to be wrong a lot (and I don't really think there's much choice about it!), uncertainty is OK. So paralysis due to under-processed knowledge need not happen.

 

[Birdjaguar]

If you avoid doing things that involve theft, malice, backbiting, excess greed and illegality and try to add more thoughtfulness, kindness and caring into what you do, you will be OK. Over thinking gets you into as much trouble as being impulsive. If you are generally action oriented, add patience, If you are a procrastinator, find a whip. I try to have people on my work team that can be anchors to windward or damn the torpedoes types. They help me keep it all in perspective.When they safe my ass in one way or another, I let them know and thank them.

 

[Kennigit]

I believe in the monte carlo method or convergence calculations.

Let a computer do it, or just do a large sample size. For convergence, continuously check the results.

In real life I do nearly everything wrong the first time.

 

[Borachio]

I don't know that I seek knowledge so much as technique: the technique of acquiring or using knowledge, perhaps.

I tend to work on the principle of transferable skills, so that if I've spent time on learning Latin grammar (say; because I honestly never study Latin grammar), then I reckon I've learnt something about learning itself, which, so I like to think, means I might be more able to learn something else.

Not that this has ever proved useful yet, as far as I know. But I never know when it might.

 

[BenitoChavez]

My approach is a mix of pragmatism and hedonism. I learn about the things that I can immediately apply to a task, or that I think I will need for some upcoming future task. But I also learn about some things simply because I like learning about those things.

When I learn about things that don't particularly interest me or I can't quickly apply the knowledge to a task then I tend to forget whatever it is I learned.

 

[warpus]

King of a vague question I think, but I like to throw myself out of my comfort zone every once in a while. It usually opens my eyes to things I didn't even know existed - and ways to improve myself that I didn't even realize were possible.

 

[Commodore]

How do you balance seeking knowledge of your topic with acting on your knowledge? Too much knowledge makes action hard because you haven't processed it all into your body, and are thus consumed with doubt. Too much specific education in one area of your realm can pull you from your general understanding of what is relevant or useful. Not enough means you're probably going to go the wrong way or be ill equipped for the consequences of your actions.

How do you balance this such that you act the most, but do the most good with your acts?

If you make your decisions about how to act based on what course of action will best serve your own interests, that removes a lot of the doubt and ambiguity in life. At least, that's been my experience.

 

[Borachio]

But how do you know what course of action will best serve your own interests?

 

[BenitoChavez]

Pro & Con lists help.

 

[Lohrenswald]

Now if I have understood the issue, I basically don't.
I never jump into action. I always contemplate every descision to the very last moment, and then some.
I have also found that I am very talented in finding the most inefficient ways of doing things.
If I even finish a project, it could most probably have been better. And if it couldn't have been better, I definately could have done it faster.

This also hinders me from trying to find alternatives to the status quo, I think.

Additionally, I don't apply my knowledge in any way really. Learning is the only thing I know, and I feel I'm getting worse at that.

 

[Commodore]

But how do you know what course of action will best serve your own interests?

It's actually very simple.

 

[Lohrenswald]

It's actually very simple.

I don't think so. Can you elaborate your thoughts?

 

[Commodore]

I don't think so. Can you elaborate your thoughts?

First you define your interests by deciding exactly what it is you are trying to achieve in a specific situation. You then analyze each course of action and pick the one that brings you the closest to the goal you defined for yourself. You also ignore the considerations and goals of others because that just makes the decision making process too complex and will hinder your ability to make a decision that is best for you.

That is my basic overview of how to act only out of self-interest. I know such thought and action is not considered "good" by society, but since thinking and acting out of self-interest my life has become considerably less complex and stressful.

 

[Borachio]

How do you define a goal for yourself?

What if my goal is World Peace and the flourishing of humanity, for example?

(I mean, it isn't. My goals are things like a nice dinner tonight.)