thomblake comments on Shut Up and Divide? - Less Wrong

60 Post author: Wei_Dai 09 February 2010 08:09PM

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Comment author: thomblake 11 February 2010 04:16:37PM 2 points [-]

You should reward people for doing the right thing - providing a quality product or service - not for when they fail miserably.

That's not the only valuable thing, or rule for action. You should also help people when they are suffering and you are able. This definition:

Charity is the process of taking purchasing power away from functional, creative individuals and communities, and giving it to dysfunctional, destructive individuals and communities.

willfully ignores the entire point of charity.

Comment author: denisbider 11 February 2010 04:23:25PM *  -2 points [-]

You should also help people when they are suffering and you are able.

Quite the opposite. Most suffering is self-inflicted, and as such is a reminder that you need to learn a lesson. External help removes the suffering and makes it seem as though no lesson needs to be learned. This perpetuates the cycle and leads to more suffering.

One shouldn't do one's kids' homework.

Comment author: thomblake 11 February 2010 05:40:40PM 3 points [-]

One shouldn't do one's kids' homework.

Leaving aside my usual objection to schools, one should help one's kids do their homework.

That said, it seems like your example is chosen specifically to sound paternalistic, which seems at odds with the free-market view you're espousing.

Most suffering is self-inflicted

I dispute that, but don't have relevant numbers. If your friend falls and breaks his leg, is that "self-inflicted"? Is it best to bring him to the hospital, or to leave him crying on the ground so he can learn something?

Comment author: Torben 14 February 2010 12:47:09PM *  0 points [-]

If your friend falls and breaks his leg, is that "self-inflicted"? Is it best to bring him to the hospital, or to leave him crying on the ground so he can learn something?

It seems that for some countries, falling accidentally is pandemic, while other countries rationally attempt to avoid it? Isn't this comment willfully ignoring the analogy denisbider was using?