Patri, Me, Academia, GTD

Patri posts a long rant at LW about instrumental rationality, and accuses LW of being contrary to instrumental rationality, more or less on the "It doesn't help you get stuff done" position.

Characteristically ignoring the main thrust of his post, I began to wonder...(a) how important is getting things done, and (b) are there fields where folks care more or less about it.

Conclusion: I barely care at all about "getting stuff done", and I count that as being largely due to being a high IQ teacher.

1. I've never actually studied seriously in my life...or done much/any homework When you're 3 sigma above your average classmate...it doesn't take much studying....and almost no one will fail you if you high score all the tests, regardless how much they SAY they're going to count homework.

2. I went into teaching...where 90% of the standard model is in-person interaction...where excellence in the moment matters a lot...and where preparation is only a (small) supporting role. Recently I've shifted my picture of teaching to one of exercise design...but my/most people's primary understanding of teaching is that it's what happens in the classroom.

3. My academic subjects in school were all ones that were primarily about thinking, and very little about doing: Math, Philosophy. Topics that were mostly doing, and little thinking (Foreign Languages, Science Lab) were almost 100% contrary to my way of doing things.

Historically, then, my interest in "getting stuff done" is near zero. I wonder how many high-IQ academic types fall into that category. Getting stuff done isn't simply all that exciting. Good pay, good fun, and no actual work.