I am especially motivated to do single things which solve multiple problems. When I look for things to do this is how I make decisions and the reason why I do what I do.
I like meeting new people. I always ask people what they are doing and what problems they have. Eventually, I come to meet several people with the same problem, and when I do, then I feel great about introducing everyone and starting to work on a single solution which will benefit everyone.
I do not much care what I do so long as I do it with friends and colleagues. When I have a choice between two projects, though, I am attracted to the one to which I can apply industrial design of processes. I love the idea of being inclusive of new participants in projects, so when I start work, I think, “What is the least skilled labor which someone could volunteer that I could accept as a meaningful contribution to my project?” For many community projects, like Wikipedia, the standard is low. For some other projects, the cost of accepting donations is higher than the value of the donation, but it is still good to be aware of that.
When thinking about what I want to do in my life, often I think “I want to do this because it will have a big impact” or “I do not want to do that because the satisfaction I would get from that would be too fleeting.” Here is a list of what I I want to do in my life. I last updated this in January 2012.
- help organize a long-term major community-level environmental protection program
- help organize a long-term major community-level gay rights program
- help organize a long-term major community-level children’s education project
- help organize a long-term major community-level public health project
- help organize a long-term major community-level science education project
- start a library / electronic research center in a community which does not have one
- start an annual award to give away; have at least 20 strangers compete for it every year
- live in five different major world cities for a year each (Seattle, New York City, and Varanasi so far)
- make a close friend in each of 20 different major world cities
- master speaking Hindi language
- produce a video documentary
- consider making a long-term commitment to wearing a suit every day
- set a goal to do something sporty and physically exhausting after a period of training, then do the training and meet the goal
- be an author on a research paper which gets cited in 20 other papers
- give a speech to 500 people
- send someone to college
- teach chemistry to young people for a year
- introduce two friends, see them partner, and watch them live their lives together
- fall in love… more times… It is not hard for me. I sometimes wonder if I should do it but I never regret it.
- find a life partner
- have USD 50,000 in the bank
- thoroughly consider with a partner the option of raising a child
- learn to appreciate different types of tea, coffee, and chocolate
- be able to present an overview of the entirety of the history of science
- be able to describe and compare the work of 100 different artists
- have enough money to retire peacefully
- breed a pair of hamsters, find good homes for the babies, and check up on them for their whole lives
- have conversations with people each of whom has experienced any one of every extreme emotional experience I can imagine – (too much love, too much sadness, too much excitement, etc.) – this is a “living vicariously” wish
- escape fate – leave rural Texas DONE
- escape fate again – live in India for a year DONE