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chaosmosis comments on The Landmark Forum — a rationalist's first impression - Less Wrong
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Personally, I'm skeptical of anything that capitalizes nouns that aren't normally proper.
What about Germans? Are you skeptical of Germans?
First, my comment was slightly sarcastic. It was making fun of my own skeptical reaction, while still noting it.
Second, Germans aren't a good counterexample because Germans are capitalizing their nouns according to some traditional scheme. But when people capitalize things without any real reason, it's a way of making them seem special and interesting and worthy of respect.
Such as? "Reality?" I do that for a reason. Essentially, I'm personalizing Reality, as a single, unique entity. Nothing like it. I used to capitalize nothing, now I capitalize Nothing.
I'm distinguishing a special usage from a "normal" one. It's a cue.
As, "The Forum Leader asks the group, 'What did you get for your $500?" The group replies, unprompted, "Nothing." And they are laughing. Of course, maybe I just capitalized it there just because it's the beginning of the sentence.
With Forum Leader, "Leader" is capitalized because it is, in fact, a formal title.
"Normal" communication is not as fun as abnormal. I'm trying to figure out, though, what this "thing" is that capitalizes. I thought I did that. I don't think that my post capitalized itself. In fact, I'm glad it didn't.
You capitalized words in accordance with whether or not they were special according to the group. Capitalizing words makes them seem special and deserving of respect. Capitalizing lots of words that aren't normally capitalized is a signal that you're approaching these issues in accordance with an ideological system that's oriented towards things in terms of respect and belief rather than skepticism.
Can you give a specific example of capitalization that shows what you are saying, chaosmosis?
The only word that I capitalized that would be outside of common usage would be "Reality." And that's my own personal decision and expression. it has nothing to do with Landmark. Capitalization is used to indicate a specific entity as distinct from a generic kind of entity. What "belief" is involved?
Yes, I have respect for Reality. I am not skeptical of Reality, only of my own "reality."
Reality is not a "thing."