SilasBarta comments on Observed Pascal's Mugging - Less Wrong

25 [deleted] 28 June 2011 03:53PM

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Comment author: SilasBarta 28 June 2011 05:59:53PM *  8 points [-]

This is kind of obvious, since it relies on Pascal's Wager (the "progenitor" of the Mugging), but it's interesting to formalize it. (I'm borrowing from Hofstadter's treatment in Metamagical Themas, IIRC.)

Religions basically follow the pattern of:

  • If you adopt [this meme], you will receive tremendous benefits in [unobservable time/place]. (The unobservability makes it functionally the same as "low probability" of good outcome.)
  • In order to truly adopt [this meme], you must convince others to adopt [this meme].

Pretty nice mind virus, if you can pull it off!

Comment author: MrMind 29 June 2011 08:43:04AM *  0 points [-]

The obvious following step it to design a memetic virus for the spread of rationality.

  • If you adopt [rationality], you will receive tremendous benefits in [observable time/place].
  • In order to truly adopt [rationality], you must convince others to adopt [rationality].

It has the advantage of being true... no small feat.

Comment author: Bongo 29 June 2011 06:18:44PM *  1 point [-]

It has the advantage of being true

No. Obviously you don't necessarily have to convince others to adopt it to be truly it.

Comment author: MrMind 30 June 2011 07:34:19AM 0 points [-]

I agree with Yudkowski here... I think that every rationalist, if s/he wants to maximize winning and fun, should convince at least some other people to be rational.

This is trivial for many 'system' of thinking when they address global status of the environment, since it's easy to predict results when the whole world thinks alike. Luckily though rationality can be used in a world which hosts different (and competing!) such systems.

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