My beliefs are not consistent across different affective states. During a state of suffering, I may feel that only a large amount of happiness, or sometimes no amount at all, could suffice as compensation for the suffering. But during a state of happiness I may feel that the happiness has been worth suffering for and that it can offset suffering quite easily.
When I'm in neither of these states, my view depends heavily on my recent experience. If I am holding a pessimistic view, it's likely because I have suffered a lot and the suffering has coerced me to believe in its relative importance. As my susceptibility to suffering recedes and my ability to attain and appreciate positive experiences returns, I become more hopeful. And then there are the mundane periods, during which I feel uncertain and clueless, and for a good reason: one can only know what suffering or happiness is in the moment of experiencing it. The only thing I'm somewhat confident about is that an eternity of nontrivial happiness would (eventually) outweigh any finite amount of suffering, and vice versa.
I wonder what it would be like to experience happiness and suffering in quick alternation. Would I be stuck turning my evaluation on its head over and over again, or would I at some point arrive at a conclusion that would persist through both of these states?
Having the "correct" axiology can obviously be critical for future decision making. I haven't found much discussion of the empathy gap on the forum (pretty much just this comment by Brian Tomasik, who also wrote some essays that touch on this topic). I think that whoever experiences and investigates a "rollercoaster life" with a scout mindset may be bound to become highly uncertain about the specifics of their axiology.
