Experiments

The other day at work, we talked about the value of experiments.  In the context of poker, if you play the same game, an adaptive player will always win in the long run.  And yes, the long run can be a very long time and perhaps the experiment isn't worth the initial cost, but many times the benefits are enormous.  For example, let's talk about my mom's cooking.  My mom is a great cook and I always love going back home to eat her cooking, but it's likely that she improved to a point and stopped experimenting because her cooking reached a level she is satisfied with.  But if every time she made the same dish, she tried 1-2 new things, the results would be extraordinary.

So the first barrier to running experiments is being narrow-minded to the possibility that a better alternative may exist or not wanting to improve on the current state.  Maybe you've never tried yoga, golf, Indian cuisine, meditation, Brazilian jujitsu, some experimental drug, sex with a (insert adjective here) girl, waking up early, the possibilities are endless.  What if you tried it, and it ends up being a game changer?  In fact, this is where I have trouble and I'm trying to be more open minded about new possibilities.

The second barrier to running successful experiments is the difficulty in determining results.  Say you have trouble sleeping, what can you do?  You might try to relieve stress through a hobby, exercising, removing distractions before bed, or maybe some sleeping aid drug.  But how many data points do you need to determine it's unsuccessful?  How do you determine adverse side affects?  In a game like poker, it might be easier to conduct experiments because of the controlled environment and limited number of decision points.  But in real life, there are so many uncontrolled variables that it can be extremely difficult to evaluate the experiment.  How many times do you try a food before you can determine you do not care for it?  Have you considered acquired tastes?  The costs of trying a new food or restaurant is so low.  But when you find that favorite dish or restaurant, it will continue to blow your mind forever.

Anyways, we're way too young to be stuck with our habits.  Try new things!  The downside is so small, yet the upside is nearly unlimited.