Nic_Smith comments on Rationality Quotes July 2011 - Less Wrong

2 Post author: Normal_Anomaly 03 July 2011 06:41AM

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Comment author: Nic_Smith 03 July 2011 02:59:18PM *  8 points [-]

"There are two types of people: those who try to win and those who try to win arguments. They are never the same." -- Nassim Nicholas Taleb (HT: Fugitive Knowledge)

Comment author: wedrifid 03 July 2011 05:39:18PM *  8 points [-]

They are never the same

Clearly false. There are all sorts of situations in which argument winning is instrumentally useful.

Comment author: Endovior 03 July 2011 11:14:07PM 2 points [-]

Perhaps, but it seems to be more likely that a focus on winning arguments is less useful then a focus on winning in general. Winning an argument may help you win on occasion; but as many lose sight of their goals in pursuit of a victorious argument, it seems more useful to hold the argument always in an instrumental sense, and never as an end in and of itself.

Comment author: Matt_Simpson 04 July 2011 06:33:03PM 2 points [-]

Funny, reading The Black Swan, Taleb struck me as someone who was trying to win an argument.

(Though he did have a point)

Comment author: Zvi 04 July 2011 11:45:30PM 2 points [-]

I'm sorry. That was abuse.

Comment author: Matt_Simpson 05 July 2011 03:18:48AM 0 points [-]

Do you mean what Taleb did was abuse? (I'm confused)

Comment author: tlholaday 06 July 2011 05:57:29PM 3 points [-]

The "abuse" quip is a Monty Python reference: The Argument Clinic.

Comment author: Matt_Simpson 06 July 2011 08:57:16PM 1 point [-]

!

That's one of my favorite Monty Python sketches too. Drops head in shame

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