randallsquared comments on Unknown knowns: Why did you choose to be monogamous? - Less Wrong

48 Post author: WrongBot 26 June 2010 02:50AM

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Comment author: randallsquared 30 June 2010 03:45:45AM 0 points [-]

If we care about the overall happiness and flourishing of man kind

That's a pretty big "if", there. I think the percentage of people who genuinely care about that is vanishingly small. How many Americans do you think would agree to erase the US entirely if they were absolutely certain that it would guarantee the happiness and flourishing of the rest of the human race? Do you think you could find even ten thousand?

Comment author: Psychohistorian 30 June 2010 04:21:04PM 4 points [-]

Easily. I'm sure there are at least that many Americans who hate America.

But that's besides the point. I don't think unusual and extreme examples are very probative in determining how people feel more generally. I think that when you get as absurd a hypothetical as "erase the US entirely," the evidence provided by it is irrelevant.

That said, I do agree with you that, in general, people do not generally care about the overall happiness and flourishing of mankind. I think reducing the problems posed by jealousy would actually lead to significant individual gains for those involved, but it's such a gut reaction that I don't think people acknowledge this. Plus, less jealousy would probably mean less concern over commitment, which I expect would lead to more sex in general (among other things), and plenty of people have a problem with that.

Comment author: randallsquared 01 July 2010 12:37:58AM 0 points [-]

Easily. I'm sure there are at least that many Americans who hate America. I think that when you get as absurd a hypothetical as "erase the US entirely," the evidence provided by it is irrelevant.

Well, there is that. :)