cousin_it comments on The Sword of Good - Less Wrong

85 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 03 September 2009 12:53AM

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Comment author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 03 September 2009 01:26:52PM 11 points [-]

Nope, they didn't get that part wrong.

Look, you should know me well enough by now to know that I don't keep my stories on nice safe moral territory.

A happy ending here is not guaranteed. But think about this very carefully. Are you sure you'd have turned the Sword on Vhazhar? They don't have the same options we do.

Comment author: cousin_it 03 September 2009 02:15:53PM *  7 points [-]

If Vhazhar has the option of editing the nasty bits out of reality and then stepping down from power, I'd help him. If he must personally become a ruler for all eternity, I'd kill him, then smash the goddamn device, then try to somehow ensure that future aspiring Dark Lords also get killed in time.

Comment author: thomblake 04 September 2009 01:23:22PM 9 points [-]

This could be how the 'balance' mythology and the prophecy got started. Perhaps the hero decided long ago that it wasn't worth the risk, and wanted to make sure future heroes kill the Dark Lord.