Thursday 11 May 2017

A hierarchy of ideologies

I wrote previously about how I think developing a hierarchy of ideologies could help me decide what to do with my life. Here's a first effort at such a hierarchy:

Fundamental:
  • If you really want it, go for it
  • Do what's best for the environment
  • Be excellent to each other
If they don't help:
  • If you haven't tried it before, try it
  • Do what would be most interesting
If still undecided:
  • Do whatever, but do something
  • Do whatever's cheapest

Hmm. I don't feel very inspired or empowered. Should I go for that promotion to a better paid, less fun job or stick with my current job, for example? 

None of the top three ideologies helps here. Of the second tier ideologies, the first suggests I should go for the job, but I suspect my current job is more interesting, which puts the second ideology in opposition with the first.

Both of the third-tier ideologies imply I should go for the promotion, but they hardly seem convincing. Why?

Reflection tells me I'm missing an ideology somewhere:
  • If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Here's that hierarchy, version 2.0:

Fundamental:
  • If you really want it, go for it
  • Do what's best for the environment
  • Be excellent to each other
  • If it ain't broke, don't fix it
If they don't help:
  • If you haven't tried it before, try it
  • Do what would be most interesting
If still undecided:
  • Do whatever, but do something
  • Do whatever's cheapest / most profitable
Fundamentals 1 and 4 are in opposition: I don't really want the promotion but I do quite want a better salary and a new challenge; however, I also quite like my current job.

If you add in the lowest-tier ideologies, going for it slightly edges it over not bothering. That's probably why I've applied for the promotion.

This hierarchy seems to work better than the first: it explains my recent behaviour (I applied for the promotion). But I still don't feel very inspired...

Maybe I'm missing something else:
  • If you're not excited, keep looking
Hierarchy 3.0:

Fundamental:
  • If you really want it, go for it
  • Do what's best for the environment
  • Be excellent to each other
  • If it ain't broke, don't fix it
  • If you're not excited, keep looking
If they don't help:
  • If you haven't tried it before, try it
  • Do what would be most interesting
If still undecided:
  • Do whatever, but do something
  • Do whatever's cheapest / most profitable
What does this mean for my career? Accepting the promotion while not being excited about it would mean I'd have to keep looking for other opportunities, according to the above. But taking another job soon after the one I've applied for would mess my company around and therefore violate "Be excellent to each other". So I'd have to decide which I cared more about: excitement or being excellent. Which would depend on exactly how excited I was by this hypothetical as-yet-known opportunity...

So does hierarchy 3.0 work well in general? Have I cracked life? Watch this space...

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