#decisionmaking

The idea that "If you avoid thinking about the future, you get better at everything" suggests that by focusing less on what might happen down the road and more on the present moment, you can enhance your performance and well-being. This perspective is closely related to concepts like mindfulness and living in the present.

Here’s why:

Reduced Anxiety: Worrying about the future can create unnecessary stress and anxiety. When you stop obsessing over what’s coming, you free yourself from these mental burdens and can focus more on what’s happening right now.

Increased Focus: Focusing on the present allows you to dedicate more mental energy to the task at hand. You are less distracted by hypothetical scenarios and more attuned to the details and nuances of what you're doing, leading to better performance.

Flow State: Living in the moment often aligns with entering a "flow state," where you’re fully immersed in your activity. This state of mind can lead to improved creativity, productivity, and enjoyment of the process, rather than constantly thinking about the outcome.

Enhanced Decision-Making: When you aren't overly concerned with the future, your decisions are often more grounded and immediate. This allows you to respond more intuitively and effectively to current circumstances rather than overthinking what might happen later.

Improved Well-Being: Constantly thinking about the future can lead to burnout or a feeling of inadequacy. By focusing on the present, you allow yourself to enjoy each moment and build a sense of accomplishment, which can improve overall happiness and mental health.

You're correct... kind of. It boils down to the developers wanting to give the players what they will play with. Our goal isn't to give players what they say they want, but what they will actually play with. These two things are often not the same. If you want to persuade the developers to make more of a thing, you need to show them that more players will play with that thing. If you want to do that, let's consider what would make them think that lots of players are playing with a particular thing.

If you were a dev, you would want to see a lot of players playing with that thing. If you want a specific kind of character, you would need to show a lot of different accounts (players) all creating that kind of character. A single account (and/or IP address) creating lots of that character isn't the same as many individual accounts each creating that kind of character. But it can't just be character creation either - to persuade the developer that players want to play with that kind of character, you would need to have all of those accounts actually play that character after creation. The further into the game each character and account get, the more persuasive it is. We track all that through our [telemetry] - every choice you make, every quest you take, we'll be watching you.

Also, worth remembering - player engagement is only one factor in the decision-making process. License, design pillars, project scope, technology limitations, all kinds of other constraints go into the decision-making process. Even if you do everything in your power and do it all right, it still may not make a difference in the end. That said, trying still has a better chance of a good result than not trying at all. If this kind of thing is important to you, then do what you can.

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Okay sooooo ! As I was trying to draw the little fanart I have mentioned yesterday without dying from heat, I've had a tiny idea creep back into my head...

Like, I'm glad writing headcanons and one-shots, but I'd also like to draw/write a fanfiction in which I would respect most of the lore available as to not disrespect Neko's hard work, only taking some liberties, making it an AU.

Thing is, if I do write it now, what if I get a LOT of things wrong, like the characters, their real forms, and the likes ?! What if I accidentally disrespect The Freak Circus, Neko, the Mods, and the Fandom as a whole @_@ ?!

So, here I am, turning to this wonderful, sometimes wise community on Tumblr...

so let's say it's friday night. you have $20, two invites, and the illusion of free will. option one: go out for ramen with my friends. option two: finally buy that book you've been eyeing (and then dramatically annotate it). you can’t do both unless you magically generate more money (which, sadly, the federal reserve won’t let you do).

enter opportunity cost. aka, the thing economics uses to remind you that every choice comes at a cost. not just in money, but in whatever you had to give up.

if you choose ramen: you lose your cozy solo night and the book. if you choose the book: you lose the serotonin of slurping noodles with people you love. either way, you lose something.

but it gets worse.

opportunity cost doesn’t just ruin your friday night — it’s everywhere. sleep in or study? splurge on iced coffee or save for gas? take ap stats or “enjoy your life” (according to my friends)? these aren’t just decisions. they’re little economic experiments. and we’re all participating, whether we like it or not.

and here’s the kicker. not choosing is still a choice. if you sit on your bed for two hours overthinking both plans, then guess what? you've already paid the opportunity cost of not doing either. rip.

so what’s the point?

well. understanding opportunity cost doesn’t mean you’ll always make the “perfect” decision. but it helps you make intentional ones. it reminds you to think:

“what am i giving up by saying yes to this?” “is it worth it?” “am i making this decision, or is my brain on autopilot again?”

guys I need help deciding again pls help :,)))))