> [!tldr] Maximizing the "good" in the world, recognizing that I'm part of it If there were ever a mumbo jumbo note, this would be it. One of my philosophies on life is that we (probably should) seek to maximize the "good" in the world... and in doing this *effectively* we must realized a few truths simultaneously: 3. **"Good" is a matter of perception** - if something "good" happens in a forest and nobody's around to experience it, did good happen?[^1] 4. **What's "good" varies from person to person** - different societies and different individuals within each society have different [[5 Why to Your Values|Values]], which are what 5. **We should try to bring "goodness" unto others** - doing this properly would necessitate understanding what [[Business Value|they value]] - it's an example of [[The Platinum Rule]] 6. **We have limited influence over others** - you cannot control whether or not someone else has "good" experiences 7. **You are a part of the world** - experiencing joy and other things you value is one reliable method (but cannot be the only method) through which you bring more good into the world. 8. **Taking care of yourself allows you to take care of others** - if you burn yourself out focusing on taking care of others, then your ability to take care of others diminishes. This is a case of philosophical [[P-PC Balance]]. In short - "good" is a matter of perception, your perception counts, take care of yourself and then take care of others. **** # More ## Source - self [^1]: I recognize this is an arguable point. But if you do something good and *you* perceive it, that's still you perceiving it. This is a really squishy topic.