Bindbreaker comments on Undiscriminating Skepticism - Less Wrong

97 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 14 March 2010 11:23PM

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Comment author: Bindbreaker 16 March 2010 06:15:02AM 2 points [-]

Would it be reversible?

Comment author: ata 16 March 2010 06:30:29AM *  6 points [-]

You can just answer it for each case. Would you take either pill if they were irreversible? If they were reversible?

Comment author: Bindbreaker 16 March 2010 06:48:19AM 6 points [-]

Yes in all cases, but absolutely only if reversible.

I am asexual and thus have not experienced any of the romantic/sexual emotions. I feel as if doing so would almost certainly help my understanding of others, as well as broaden my emotional range. However, I seem to do quite fine without these emotions, and they seem to cause more problems than they are worth in many of the people around me. Therefore I would only take such pills if they were reversible, as my present state is quite happy and the alternative could certainly be worse.

Comment author: Jack 16 March 2010 08:08:58AM *  4 points [-]

However, I seem to do quite fine without these emotions, and they seem to cause more problems than they are worth in many of the people around me.

No kidding.

Do people remember that guy who was here at the very beginning and wouldn't shut up about how the key to being rational was castration? I doubt that troll would have had much to say would have been helpful but the position has a certain intuitive plausibility to me. To begin with, I'm pretty sure the ebb and flow of sexual arousal would be really easy to money pump.

Comment author: wedrifid 16 March 2010 08:23:49AM 5 points [-]

To begin with, I'm pretty sure my the ebb and flow of sexual arousal would be really easy to money pump.

Buying and selling bulk cupons for the service of prostitutes?

Comment author: Jack 19 March 2010 11:12:41PM *  3 points [-]

I was actually thinking pornographic website subscriptions. That works too, though.

Comment author: Morendil 16 March 2010 08:33:23AM 2 points [-]

Easy enough to find by searching. ;)

Those contributions were... interesting. I'm somewhat tempted to doubt the disclosure. While researching permanent forms of contraception, in particular vasectomy, I learned that the procedure was illegal in France up until a few years ago: it was considered "self-mutilation". I'd be rather surprised to learn about someone getting elective castration, unless some plausible details substantiated that story.

Comment author: Jack 16 March 2010 09:49:19AM *  1 point [-]

Agreed. And I obviously wouldn't volunteer. But sexuality does appear to generate some serious bias. I imagine straight men might be unreliable rebutters and evaluators of arguments made by attractive females, for example.