lessdazed comments on Defecting by Accident - A Flaw Common to Analytical People - Less Wrong

86 Post author: lionhearted 01 December 2010 08:25AM

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

Comments (420)

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

Comment author: lessdazed 23 October 2011 03:35:40PM *  7 points [-]

adding phrases...makes the statement seem less confrontational, and that the difference in statement length is negligible.

"It would be great if you could pass the salt."

"There is no objective criteria by which it could be 'great' if - "

"I would appreciate it if you would pass the salt."

"If you think so, then it's probably true, although there are limits to introspection - "

"Trust me."

" - but even granting that, that's really a lame counterfactual scenario to raise - "

"Salt motherfucker. Can you pass it?!"

"I can."

(A short interval of time elapses. Salt is not passed.)

"Pass the salt!"

Comment author: TheOtherDave 23 October 2011 06:20:26PM 3 points [-]

In my more pedantic youth, I entertained myself endlessly by playing this game when people tried to ask me for the time.

"Do you have the time?"
"Yes."
"Will you tell me the time?"
"It depends."
"On what?"
"Whether you ask me."
(sigh) "All right, then, will you tell me the time?!?"
"As I say: it depends!"

It astonished me how difficult it was for people to forego polite indirection.

Comment author: pedanterrific 23 October 2011 07:10:26PM 2 points [-]

"What time is it?!"

"It's five o'clock somewhere."