multifoliaterose comments on Reason is not the only means of overcoming bias - Less Wrong

6 Post author: multifoliaterose 09 September 2010 10:59PM

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Comment author: multifoliaterose 10 September 2010 10:37:12AM *  4 points [-]

I'll just throw these links here for counterpoint:

Do you have any reason to think that the issue of some developing world aid doing more harm than good applies to GiveWell's top-ranked charities? If you have a good such reason I'd certainly be interested in knowing about it.

Regarding Malthusian problems, see the post to the GiveWell mailing list titled Population growth & health.

And yeah, I agree with Tim that the line about "your daughter" is blatantly manipulative and I immediately tune out anyone who uses such rhetoric for any goal. I spend my resources on helping people who are important to me. (For real - most of my salary every month goes to friends and relatives.) Don't trick me into thinking you're important to me so you can get some of my money.

See my response to Tim.

Comment author: cousin_it 10 September 2010 12:09:06PM *  3 points [-]

I don't understand your response to Tim. You say "the point wasn't X, it was Y", but I can't see any difference between X and Y.

Comment author: multifoliaterose 10 September 2010 02:00:23PM 2 points [-]

Another answer which may be more to the point of your question: I don't think that the linked video makes a case for the people who would benefit from developing world aid literally being the viewer's family/friends. I think that the linked video makes a case for the people who would benefit being somewhat similar to the viewer's family/friends. It's certainly not true that the people who would benefit are literally the viewer's family/friends, but I think that most viewers with enough information would agree that the people who would benefit are somewhat similar to the viewer's family/friends.

I think that the video helps make this point salient to potential donors for whom it would otherwise not be salient on account of the psychic numbing effect which Paul Slovic talks about.