SilasBarta comments on Rationality Quotes: July 2010 - Less Wrong

4 Post author: komponisto 01 July 2010 09:24PM

You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.

Comments (216)

You are viewing a single comment's thread. Show more comments above.

Comment author: SilasBarta 09 July 2010 11:01:42PM 1 point [-]

Evolution has the problem of path-dependence, though. Once the "don't do that" / "pay attention to that" mechanism builds up slowly over many generations, it cannot refactor in such a way that it surgically cuts out the internal feeling of pain in precisely those circumstances where, "hey, might as well give up".

Comment author: mattnewport 09 July 2010 11:22:32PM 0 points [-]

It's hard to see what reproductive benefit there would be to reduced suffering when dying either so there is unlikely to be any evolutionary pressure in that direction.