re: Is it possible to do something that you think is not in your best self interest?

quote:

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I know it's not in my best interest to jump off my roof into my pool while drunk, but I do it anyway cause it's fun.

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Which makes it your best interest. The enjoyment you expect to get from a successful jump is enough to outweigh the possibility of pain from an unsuccessful one. It may not be the safest thing to do, but the fact that you did it means that you believed it to be the better decision; not for you long term health maybe, but for your overall happiness, which is all we really care about.

I agree with the OP in a sense; the fact that we do something is evidence that we perceive it to maximize our happiness.