By recognizing the higher-level consequences nature optimizes for, I’ve come to see that people who overweigh the first-order consequences of their decisions and ignore the effects of second- and subsequent-order consequences rarely reach their goals. This is because first-order consequences often have opposite desirabilities from second-order consequences, resulting in big mistakes in decision making. For example, the first-order consequences of exercise (pain and time spent) are commonly considered undesirable, while the second-order consequences (better health and more attractive appearance) are desirable. Similarly, food that tastes good is often bad for you and vice versa.
通过认识到自然优化的更高层次的后果，我发现那些过度重视决策的一阶后果而忽视二阶和后续后果影响的人很少能达到他们的目标。这是因为一阶后果往往与二阶后果具有相反的期望，从而导致决策中出现重大错误。例如，锻炼的第一级后果（疼痛和花费的时间）通常被认为是不受欢迎的，而第二级后果（更好的健康和更有吸引力的外表）是可取的。同样，味道好的食物往往对你有害，反之亦然。

Quite often the first-order consequences are the temptations that cost us what we really want, and sometimes they are the barriers that stand in our way. It’s almost as though nature sorts us by throwing us trick choices that have both types of consequences and penalizing those who make their decisions on the basis of the first-order consequences alone.
通常，一阶后果是让我们失去真正想要的东西的诱惑，有时它们是阻碍我们前进的障碍。这几乎就像大自然对我们进行分类，给我们带来两种后果的诡计选择，并惩罚那些仅根据一阶后果做出决定的人。

By contrast, people who choose what they really want, and avoid the temptations and get over the pains that drive them away from what they really want, are much more likely to have successful lives.
相比之下，那些选择自己真正想要的东西、避免诱惑、克服远离真正想要的东西的痛苦的人，更有可能拥有成功的生活。

source:https://www.principles.com/principles/060a4d9c-4fd7-491a-bce8-631ec85bf397/