PhilGoetz comments on Beauty quips, "I'd shut up and multiply!" - Less Wrong

6 Post author: neq1 07 May 2010 02:34PM

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Comment author: PhilGoetz 10 May 2010 10:37:48PM *  2 points [-]

I see what you mean. But some comments have said, "I can set up a payoff scheme that gives this answer; therefore, this is an equally-valid answer." The correct response is to state the payoff scheme that gives your answer, and then admit your answer is not addressing the problem if you can't find justification for that payoff scheme in the problem statement.

Comment author: timtyler 11 May 2010 05:47:10AM *  1 point [-]

Indeed - that would be bad - and confusing.

It is both bad and confusing that people are defending the idea that this problem is not clearly-stated enough to answer.

I suspect this happens because, people don't like criticising the views of others. They would rather just say 'you are both right' - since then no egos get bruised, and a costly fight is avoided. So, nonsense goes uncriticised, and the innocent come to believe it - because nobody has the guts to knock it down.