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Rings_of_Saturn comments on Talking Snakes: A Cautionary Tale - Less Wrong
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I'm not sure how you could misconstrue that as an argument - it's a single proposition!
If it's not obvious, consider that they're rejecting a commonly-held belief for a really bad reason. That's practically insane. Much better to go along with the crowd until you have an actual reason not to.
And I think being neither rude nor a jerk is vital to being a complete person. You're setting the bar way too low.
thomblake:
I also agree with the post's assertion that relying on the absurdity heuristic alone is dangerous ground, it is still an excellent tool for at least calling in to question a set of beliefs which, upon further and more rigorous examination, may or may not merit rejection.
But, I must protest, a talking snake is not "a really bad reason" to reject that set of common beliefs. It is an EXCELLENT reason.
Snakes do not talk.