My "Political Philosophy"

[David Sklansky]

If you want to call it that. Someone else will tell me what the name of it is as I doubt it is original. It's based on three things.

1. Different people want different things. Some wnat the feeling heroin gives them. Some enjoy seeing a child smile. Or Gary Carson frown. Or hitting a home run. And they put different values on it.

2. There are two good reasons to not mindlessly seek what you want the most. One is that there may be immediate downsides to doing this. Physical injuries, legal punishments, punishments from God if you believe in him, or for some, a sense of discomfort because they believe that seeking certain pleasures don't fit into their own "principles". Either because the pleasure is "immoral" to them or the methods to attain it are. A second reason to consider eschewing instant rewards would be if that path reduces the chances of getting rewards in the future. However when making that calculation it is important to realize that a bird in the hand is often worth two in the bush. The future rewards might not show up. Or you might die. Or you might not enjoy them as much at a more advanced age.

3. Once you have figured out yourself and your goals using the precepts above, you then need to know one last thing. Life is a poker game.