[ExI] Nootropics and Anders

[Anders Sandberg]

On 2013-12-27 00:45, Samantha Atkins wrote:
>
> I also notice a slight tendency of mental stickiness that is not so 
> good if you get stuck on something suboptimal.   It is easy to burn a 
> lot of mental energy on something that doesn't actually increase the 
> things I value.   But I can hardly blame the drug for that since such 
> has been true my entire life.  :) But modafinil seems to be a bit of 
> an accelerant for that.

The stickiness is exactly what I like: while I have wasted mornings 
correcting People Who Are Wrong On The Internet or doing elaborate 
simulations of obscure physics, it also helps me finish projects and 
writing I would otherwise get distracted from. I doubt I fulfil any 
clinical criteria for ADHD, but the normal human flightiness - 
especially if you are creative and interested in plenty - is something 
that it is useful to sometimes temporarily tune down.

I usually explain to students that smart drugs do not make you better at 
time management. Or give you any new information.

-- 
Dr Anders Sandberg
Future of Humanity Institute
Oxford Martin School
Oxford University

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