Vladimir_M comments on How to always have interesting conversations - Less Wrong

45 Post author: Kaj_Sotala 14 June 2010 12:35AM

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Comment author: Wei_Dai 14 June 2010 05:20:40AM 0 points [-]

And when one of us gave a factual statement outside the others' knowledge, the other tended to accept it

But you're sure to accept a lot of false statements that way. Why are you not worried about it?

But there's something really fun about electric conversations that I think you're missing here.

Thinking about why conversations might be fun, I can see two reasons:

  1. The "game" aspect (i.e., signaling/status/alliance). I tried to explain earlier why this aspect doesn't hold much interest for me.
  2. Obtaining novel information. Once I realized how unreliable most people's beliefs are, the anxiety of accepting false information interferes too much with this "fun". Also, I can get a much bigger "information high" from reading something like this.

Is there some other element of fun conversation that I might be missing?

Comment author: Vladimir_M 14 June 2010 07:05:54AM *  3 points [-]

Once I realized how unreliable most people's beliefs are, the anxiety of accepting false information interferes too much with this "fun".

Are you sure that you're not being biased here? If people really are so unreliable, even when they are serious and upfront, how do they ever get anything done in practice?

Or could it be that you're failing to employ the standard heuristics for judging the reliability of people's claims? (Note that this also involves judging whether what's been said was even meant to be said authoritatively. People often say things without implying that they believe them firmly and on good evidence.)

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