Pushing And Pulling Goals

Scott Alexander draws a distinction between 'pulling goals' (you have something you want to achieve, so you build a plan and structure around it — e.g. wanting to cure cancer, so you become a biologist) and 'pushing goals' (you already have a plan or structure and have to invent a goal to feed it — e.g. needing to write a 20-page research paper and casting around for a topic). He argues that pushing goals usually signal something has gone unexamined, tend to produce mediocre work, and feel quietly dishonest; his fix is to keep a running list of things you genuinely want to 'pull' so they're ready when a pushing situation later forces your hand.