= 27d567bc2d48d9f40e9ccc20ea370b15)
wedrifid comments on Rationality Quotes October 2011 - Less Wrong
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
= 783df68a0f980790206b9ea87794c5b6)
Loading…= b715d02e85f7b3b4ae65ca3d3e450868)
Subscribe to RSS Feed
Powered by Reddit
= f037147d6e6c911a85753b9abdedda8d)
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
Comments (532)
-Confucius
That's terrible advice. Far better to spend that time thinking of a better attack plan. Make sure it includes contingencies to deal with anyone who may wish to avenge whoever you are killing.
My understanding is that the advice is to be aware that you could also end up dead, so you should dig an extra grave for yourself. It's not practical advice, it's a warning that revenge is dangerous and not worth it.
I think the point of the quote is that it's yet better to spend that time doing productive things unrelated to revenge, given that generating enough such contingencies is pretty costly.
Edit: Actually, wedrifid is right.
No, it isn't. That is another point that could be made in the general area of "Boo Revenge". The most useful point that is conveyed, via assuming it as a premise, is that taking revenge is dangerous.
I argue that quotes don't (or rather shouldn't) get credit for all possible supporting arguments for the general position they are applauding.
Boy, Less Wrong can be really literal-minded sometimes.
"Literal-minded", "optimally efficient"; "to-mah-to", "to-may-to"...
I know this is a joke, but I want to take it seriously. Really, literal-mindedness is actually an issue in certain kinds of cases.
And I realize what I'm about to do, and so I'll just stop here.