Crunch Time
Suppose you could, on rare occasions, use an extraordinary power to produce a week’s worth of work in a single day. There is a catch: the week’s worth of work in a single day will age you one month. Would you occasionally use this extraordinary power on rare occasions when you are really under the gun, or would the cost be just too high?
To me, this is no thought experiment; it’s the story of my life. I sometimes use this extraordinary power to get out of a fix. But I have grey hair in my 40’s. Is it worth it?
I cannot imagine really being any different than who I am. That really organized person might be a really good person but it wouldn’t be me. My little boy would look at that person and think, “Who are you?” I would rather he call me, “Daddy.”
Luckily for me, crunch time only comes two or three times a year. Otherwise, I might not make it to 70.
To me, this is no thought experiment; it’s the story of my life. I sometimes use this extraordinary power to get out of a fix. But I have grey hair in my 40’s. Is it worth it?
I cannot imagine really being any different than who I am. That really organized person might be a really good person but it wouldn’t be me. My little boy would look at that person and think, “Who are you?” I would rather he call me, “Daddy.”
Luckily for me, crunch time only comes two or three times a year. Otherwise, I might not make it to 70.
posted by Michael Higgins at
22:32
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4 Comments:
So what, I have grey hair when I'm 23.
By
Anonymous, at 1:16 AM
I certainly wouldn't use such a "power" to benefit an employer, who would gain all the benefits from my sacrifice.
By
Anonymous, at 10:27 AM
Hi Anonymous and Half Sigma
Anonymous: There is hair dye that might help.
Half Sigma: I would tend to agree. But sometimes you have to do what you have to do. My speciality is economic optimization which requires writing programs that solve optimizations. If the programs that I write don't work, then I have little choice but to make them work.
It had occurred to me that for the kind of work I do that I do, I should make more money. I wonder if there are other people who think they should make more money... hmm :)
By
Michael Higgins, at 9:38 AM
"I wonder if there are other people who think they should make more money... hmm :)"
A more interesting question to ask, is there anyone who thinks they DON'T deserve more money?
By
Anonymous, at 2:41 PM
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