JamesCole comments on Typical Mind and Politics - Less Wrong

46 Post author: Yvain 12 June 2009 12:28PM

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Comment author: JamesCole 12 June 2009 02:55:41PM *  1 point [-]

So it seems possible to me that I have an oversensitivity to noise and Bill has an undersensitivity to it.

That seems to imply that the typical case is the "correct" one, and that somehow your (or Bill's) case is invalid because it's non-typical.

If noise means that you can't sleep, study or concentrate, and you can't really help this, then this is a valid factor that should be taken into account.

[edit] though after reading further down i can see that you appreciate that.

Comment author: Annoyance 12 June 2009 05:19:57PM 3 points [-]

If noise means that you can't sleep, study or concentrate, and you can't really help this, then this is a valid factor that should be taken into account.

Taken into account by courtesy, yes. But the standards of polite behavior and the standards of societal enforcement do not have to be the same, and it's often desirable that they be different.

A neighbor who could easily reduce the noise that causes so much distress, but does not do so, may perhaps be rude. But if the law doesn't compel him to tone it down, it doesn't follow that the law is wrong or lacking.