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SilasBarta comments on Existential Risk and Public Relations - Less Wrong
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I think it's bad form to accuse other people of being insincere without clearly defending your remarks. By claiming that the only reason anyone cares about existential risk is signalling, Tim is saying that a lot of people who appear very serious about X-risk reduction are either lying or fooling themselves. I know many altruists who have acted in a way consistent with being genuinely concerned about the future, and I don't see why I should take Tim's word over theirs. It certainly isn't the "most obvious answer."
I also don't like this claim that people are likely to behave worse when they think they're in impending danger, because again, I don't agree that it's intuitive, and no evidence is provided. It also isn't sufficient; maybe some risks are important enough that they ought to be addressed even if addressing them has bad cultural side effects. I know that the SIAI people, at least, would definitely put uFAI in this category without a second thought.
Hm, I didn't get that out of timtyler's post (just voted up). He didn't seem to be saying, "Each and every person interested in this topic is doing it to signal status", but rather, "Hey, our minds aren't wired up to care about this stuff unless maybe it signals" -- which doesn't seem all that objectionable.
DNDV (did not down vote). Sure signalling has a lot to do with it, the type of signalling he suggests doesn't ring true with what I have see of most peoples behaviour. We do not seem to be great proselytisers most of the time.
The ancient circuits that x-risk triggers in me are those of feeling important, of being a player in the tribes future with the benefits that that entails. Of course I won't get the women if I eventually help save humanity, but my circuits that trigger on "important issues" don't seem to know that. In short by trying to deal with important issues I am trying to signal a raised status.
Ok, so people don't like the implication of either the evo-psych argument, or the signaling argument. They both seem plausible, if speculative.