Jack comments on But Somebody Would Have Noticed - Less Wrong

36 Post author: Alicorn 04 May 2010 06:56PM

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Comment author: simplicio 07 May 2010 02:35:49AM *  4 points [-]

And later, if you keep going: "I told you to shut up. Look, either you're taking this joke way too far or you are literally insane. How am I supposed to believe anything you say now?"

You could always say something like "I believe X, but given your epistemic position, I understand your unwillingness to believe me." I would accept that from somebody who was ostensibly abducted by aliens.

ETA: added "ostensibly." =)

Comment author: Jack 07 May 2010 12:38:52PM 0 points [-]

That's tempting, but you can't just get out of evidence by appreciating the other person's perspective. The alleged abductee is in a special position to evaluate whether or not she is joking or lying with a confidence others cannot share. But the weight of the evidence still suggests a psychotic episode or hallucination and the alleged abductee does not have privileged evidence regarding that proposition (she might have some reasons to doubt it but not enough to counter the fact that it is the dominant explanation).