wedrifid comments on Scientific Self-Help: The State of Our Knowledge - Less Wrong

138 Post author: lukeprog 20 January 2011 08:44PM

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Comment author: wedrifid 25 January 2011 05:34:51AM *  1 point [-]

Anyone have a really solid working definition for 'basilisk' as we use it here?

Knowledge or concepts, the comprehension of which will cause one significant disulitly.

Comment author: Jack 25 January 2011 06:05:49AM 2 points [-]

That is over-broad unfortunately. The concept needs to be distinguished from "ugly truths" where the disutility comes from an emotional reaction to how far from ideal the world is.

Comment author: RichardKennaway 25 January 2011 02:13:22PM 0 points [-]

Knowledge or concepts, the comprehension of which may cause substantial damage to one's instrumental rationality.

Comment author: wedrifid 25 January 2011 07:17:29AM 0 points [-]

Do we include concepts selected to elicit a maximal emotional response? Such as particularly Funny Jokes or things so sad that they would drive most people to suicide? They do seem to be a different concept but still deserve a similar title. (If not basilisk then at least cockatrice or one of the Gorgons).