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Nick_Tarleton comments on Crowley on Religious Experience - Less Wrong
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I believe this essay, despite being written by a mystic and involving mystical theories and little formal scientific evidence, is likely true and of value to rationalists.
But every crank or New Ager believes that their pet theory, despite being mystical and lacking scientific evidence, is likely true and of value to rationalists. So from the Inside View, I think the essay is valuable, but from the Outside View I'm forced to admit it might not be.
I chose to post it after people reacted positively to the comments I made based on it, but I still feel uncomfortable transgressing the general principle, hence the guilt.
I'm still confused. Which general principle?
Outside view less biased than inside view.
Why should you feel bad about transgressing a general principle when you have reasons to, you know these reasons, and you consider yourself capable of evaluating the validity of these reasons? (As opposed to the structureless black-box belief "this essay is valuable".) The outside view also says that you have, at best, high-average reasoning ability and have no business writing for Less Wrong.
I can see it making sense to disclaim a greater-than-average chance of biased evaluation in this case, but not guilt. Without people who can successfully use the inside view in some cases being willing to do so, no progress can be made.
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