rortian 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: rortian 16 June 2010 02:15:15PM *  0 points [-]

Sure. You are having to cache each thought with certain assumptions in mind (e.g. group of people that like the singularity, people that tolerate talking about the possibility of computers, people that take fantasy seriously, a person that doesn't seem interested in any of the things that the aforementioned might). If we try to think about these assumptions as variables, attempting to cache for a future conversations quickly leads to combinatoric explosion leaving you with an impossible number of things to think about before. This forces you to consider a small number of cases that may well do more harm then good.

I also don't like cache here because of how static in implies the ideas are. Conversation, and quality thinking, are dynamic and deserve to be let evolve on their own.

Comment author: simplicio 16 June 2010 02:38:33PM 1 point [-]

...a good looking woman that doesn't seem interested in any of the things that the aforementioned might...

Not to be humourless, but I wonder if this could be rephrased to something a little more neutral.

Comment author: rortian 16 June 2010 02:53:36PM 1 point [-]

Done. I didn't mean to imply that none of the others mentioned were attractive, but I understand the concern. Thanks for the heads up.