pjeby comments on Human values differ as much as values can differ - Less Wrong

13 Post author: PhilGoetz 03 May 2010 07:35PM

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Comment author: pjeby 04 May 2010 07:20:58PM 0 points [-]

So I see your post as describing a very important initiative we should all be taking, as people: convince others to find happiness in positive-sum games

It's an error to assume that human brains are actually wired for zero or negative sum games in the first place, vs. having adaptations that tend towards such a situation. Humans aren't true maximizers; they're maximizer-satisficers. E.g., people don't seek the best possible mate: they seek the best mate they think they can get.

(Ironically, the greater mobility and choices in our current era often lead to decreased happiness, as our perceptions of what we ought to be able to "get" have increased.)

Anyway, ISTM that any sort of monomaniacal maximizing behavior (e.g. OCD, paranoia, etc.) is indicative of an unhealthy brain. Simple game theory suggests that putting one value so much higher than others is unlikely to be an evolutionarily stable strategy.