hegemonicon comments on Spock's Dirty Little Secret - Less Wrong

46 Post author: pjeby 25 March 2009 07:07PM

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Comment author: hegemonicon 25 March 2009 10:52:09PM *  4 points [-]

David Hume summed it up well : "Reason is, and ought only to be, the slave of the passions.”

Eliezer tells us that "Rationalists should WIN". But you can easily substitute 'win' for 'achieve whatever makes them happy', once again reinforcing the importance of emotions. Our passions are ultimately what drive us, rationality is just taking the best available information into account when trying to achieve them.

Comment author: quiescent 25 March 2009 11:19:46PM 0 points [-]

Yes, except the belief that the polygraph is accurate. It's almost useless.

http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10420&page=212

Comment author: pjeby 25 March 2009 11:57:18PM 0 points [-]

I didn't say it was "accurate". II was merely indicating that thoughts have physical influence on the body, not that you can use them to tell what someone is thinking or whether they're telling the truth.

Comment author: quiescent 27 March 2009 10:01:19PM 0 points [-]

Sorry for nitpicking, never mind.