michaelkeenan comments on Let them eat cake: Interpersonal Problems vs Tasks - Less Wrong

70 Post author: HughRistik 07 October 2009 04:35PM

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Comment author: michaelkeenan 08 October 2009 03:55:57AM 3 points [-]

In this context, society's enforcement mechanism is social pressure/shame. Your examples - speed dating, online dating, prostitution - are all considered more or less shameful (I know because I've seen the shamed body language of people admitting to them). This shows that society's enforcement measures are working.

Comment author: taw 08 October 2009 08:22:43AM 5 points [-]

I don't know what's your reference group, but I don't know anyone computer-literate who considers online dating shameful at all. It's a mainstream activity, and is almost becoming the default way to find people to date.

Comment author: michaelkeenan 09 October 2009 06:08:43AM 4 points [-]

It's been a couple of years since I heard censure of online dating too, and I agree that it's almost completely accepted among all the relevant people. I definitely meant it on the "less shameful" end of the spectrum.

But it's been a while since I've heard anyone condemn gays, or atheists, or blacks. I try to ward myself against availability bias by reminding myself that my social group is likely to be a weird little bubble relative to the whole world. If I encountered people thinking online dating is shameful a few years ago, then I can be sure that many people still think so. I'm confident I could find them if I try.

Ok, I just tried, with a google search, and found this, from March 2009. It looks like online dating is still shameful for some people.

Comment author: ata 09 October 2009 06:17:57AM *  5 points [-]

When I was recently considering signing up for OkCupid, I asked a few friends (actually on a forum, but a small intimate one) about their thoughts on this:

There's still a stigma. That's why people say "there's no stigma anymore!"

(...which is what I was worried about. Of course, "a witty saying proves nothing", but it makes sense -- if there weren't a stigma, there would be less need to defend it against claims that there's still a stigma, and fewer people trying to.)

Okcupid is generally thought of as acceptable as long as you don't take it too seriously. If anyone you know sees you on there, well, they have an account too.

(...which is a pretty good point too. So I took the plunge and joined.)

Comment author: pdf23ds 08 October 2009 03:11:30PM 1 point [-]

If that were the case, I'd expect to find a lot more people than I do on the main dating sites. Perhaps you meant to limit your statement to a certain demographic.

Comment author: taw 08 October 2009 06:08:29PM *  7 points [-]

Where have you been looking, and what demographics are you after?

Comment author: thomblake 08 October 2009 01:13:32PM 1 point [-]

Yes, this matches my impression of the subject.