Vladimir_Nesov comments on Really Extreme Altruism - Less Wrong

16 Post author: CronoDAS 15 March 2009 06:51AM

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Comment author: Vladimir_Nesov 04 May 2011 01:10:31PM *  1 point [-]

I just claim the right to withhold information - and am not thereby deluded or hypocritical.

Should people in general withhold relevant information more or less? There is only hypocrisy here (bad conduct given a commons problem) if less is better and you act in a way that promotes more, and self-delusion if you also believe this behavior good.

Comment author: wedrifid 05 May 2011 03:47:24AM *  0 points [-]

Should people in general withhold relevant information more or less? There is only hypocrisy here (bad conduct given a commons problem) if less is better and you act in a way that promotes more, and self-delusion if you also believe this behavior good.

It is no coincidence that one of the most effective solutions to a commons problem is the assignment of individual rights.

People in general should not be obliged to share all relevant information with me, nor I with them. In the same way they should not be obliged to give me their stuff whenever I want it. Because that kind of social structure is unstable and has a predictable failure mode of extreme hypocrisy.

No, my asserted right, if adhered to consistently (and I certainly encourage others to assert the same right for themselves) reduces the need for hypocrisy. This is in contrast to the advocation of superficially 'nice' sounding social rules to be supported by penalty of shaming and labeling - that is where the self delusional lies. I prefer to support conventions that might actually work and that don't unduly penalize those that abide by them.

Comment author: Vladimir_Nesov 05 May 2011 09:09:02AM 0 points [-]

Agreed that it's practical.