MichaelVassar comments on Counterfactual Mugging - Less Wrong

52 Post author: Vladimir_Nesov 19 March 2009 06:08AM

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Comment author: topynate 19 March 2009 07:46:02AM 2 points [-]

You've actually made it an easier problem for me, though, because I regard my alternate selves as other people.

How do you peak the threshold, decide that [$10000] < [decision threshold] < [your life]?

If it were possible for me to make a deal with my alternate self by which I get a few thousand dollars, I would obviously surrender my $100. As it isn't possible, I see little reason to give someone otherwise destined to be forever causally isolated from me $10000 at the cost of $100. I wouldn't keep $100 if it meant he lost $10000, either. I probably would keep the $100 if they lost less than $100. If my alternate self stood to gain, say, a million dollars, but nothing if I kept my $100, then I probably would give it up. But that would be as a whimsy, something to think about and feel good. But the benefit to me of that whimsy would have to be worth more than $100.

The pattern behind my choices is that the pain experienced by my alternate self (who, recall, I consider a different person) in any of these cases is never more than $100. I think this is the most we can expect, on average, of other intelligent beings: that they will not inflict a large loss for a small gain. Why not steal, in that case? Because there is, in fact, no such thing as total future causal isolation.

Comment author: Vladimir_Nesov 19 March 2009 08:02:08AM *  5 points [-]

There is no alternative self. None at all. The alternative may be impossible according to the laws of physics. It is only present in your imperfect model of the world. You can't trade with a fiction, and you shouldn't emphasize with a fiction. What you decide, you decide in this our real world. You decide that it is right to make a sacrifice, according to your preferences that only live in your model of the world, but speak about the reality.

Comment author: MichaelVassar 19 March 2009 03:11:43PM 8 points [-]

I think that this is a critical point, worthy of a blog post of its own. Impossible possible worlds are a confusion.
The inclination to trade with fiction seems like a serious problem within this community.