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Tog's Paradox

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166 points adzicg | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0s | source
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nine_k ◴[] No.41914693[source]
It looks almost as if humans have a nearly infinite backlog of things they would do if they only had time and capability, and a limit on the amount of effort they are capable of exerting per day. Then, once new tools increase their productivity and free up a bit of resources, they pick more desiderata from the backlog, and try to also accomplish that. Naturally they seek more tools for the newly-possible activities, and the loop closes.

This applies to any activity, leisure emphatically included. Travel became simpler → more vacations now involve flying a plane and thus obtaining tickets online and thus comparison-shopping, aggregating reviews of faraway places, etc → omg, vacation travel is complex again. It just allows to fulfill more of a dream.

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delichon ◴[] No.41914766[source]
The nearly infinite backlog also means that there is nearly infinite demand for labor and Luddite adjacent arguments that labor saving technology causes persistent underemployment are invalid.
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1. nine_k ◴[] No.41914935[source]
It mostly means that human desires are insatiable by construction, so humans always feel somehow missing out and wanting.

Check out the works of S. Gautama on the topic; it's enlightening! :)