Variables I’ve noticed as being relevant: Expected marginal increase in agency (both absolute and relative) Degree to which there’s something free or bargain about it Non-neuroticism (not dwelling on things when you can’t act) Obsessiveness (not letting go when you CAN act)
-
-
Show this thread
-
Expansion in the realm of the accessible known. I was very excited about the New Horizons mission Pluto (2015) and Ultima Thule (2019) flybys. But much less excited about quantum supremacy. Probably because the latter is effectively inaccessible to me.
Show this thread -
Sense of being bound. A “what’s the point” context created by everything else. As in, “what’s the point of getting excited about Pluto; between Trump and climate change it’s game over and New Horizons photos are all we’ll ever get”. There was a bit of that in 2019 flyby for me.
Show this thread -
Social reality component. You get excited in proportion to the existence of, and your sense of belonging to, a larger social reality that has agency in relation to a thing. Space missions require space programs with a “for all humans” posture.
Show this thread
End of conversation
New conversation -
-
-
This Tweet is unavailable.
-
So temperate peoples are less excitable than tropical and equatorial? Hmm.
- 1 more reply
-
-
-
A chance to be “seen”. Exciting events and costume parties allow dropping of masks. As does being higher in a hierarchy, you can make yourself “seen” indirectly without direct consequence. Shame prevents this kind of excitement. “I have no right to be.”
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
The people side of that is more variable than the things side.
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
I feel like I'm someone who *could* get excited about many things but I run into energy constraints pretty quickly
-
So part of how I "decide" what to get excited about is just...for things that I've already mentally allocated energy for. There's path dependency for ya
End of conversation
New conversation -
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.