MarkusRamikin comments on Rationality Quotes October 2011 - Less Wrong

3 Post author: MinibearRex 03 October 2011 06:41AM

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Comment author: MarkusRamikin 02 October 2011 09:13:13AM *  11 points [-]

I've read the source and context of that and it's really not impressing me as a rational thing to do... it's a clever/smartass thing to do, but in what way did Ilyssa win? Surely she didn't expect Eric to enlighten her on the subject in some way she hadn't thought about before, and now she is "miserable about Eric", and didn't get to enjoy Hamlet.

The "I can't stop myself" says it all - she can't choose not to defect. That's not a strength.

Comment author: DSimon 04 October 2011 04:22:32PM *  2 points [-]

Another quote from that source amuses me:

Am I to hope that, in the hereafter, a rationalist God will reward me for having the intellectual integrity not to believe in Him?

Reminds me of Secular Heaven

Comment author: Manfred 02 October 2011 07:32:02PM *  0 points [-]

Agreed. All the things to say that she finds "interesting" and "valid" seem to be shocking to other people. That's not a problem of being too honest, it's a problem of intentionally trying to drive people away (or being someone's bulbous caricature of a "rationalist").

And, of course, rational agents maximize their current utility functions.