APMason comments on Not By Empathy Alone - Less Wrong

19 Post author: gwern 05 October 2011 12:36AM

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Comment author: APMason 06 October 2011 12:30:03AM 1 point [-]

You don't find deserts beautiful?

Comment author: PhilGoetz 06 October 2011 02:27:20AM *  1 point [-]

Some deserts. Not this one. There are no Joshua trees, no grasses, no lizards, no snakes, no rocks, no valleys, no hills, no birds, no insects. Nothing but miles of silent, flat, dry mud, a burning sun, burning alkali dust, and frequent dust storms. If it's beautiful, it's only the way a blank sheet of paper is beautiful.

Comment author: APMason 06 October 2011 11:34:20AM 2 points [-]

Well, this isn't really something we can argue about, but I can't say I find deserts beautiful because of how lively they are. Seems to me like eerie, silent vastness is exactly what I find appealing about them.

Comment author: [deleted] 06 October 2011 02:11:19AM 0 points [-]

Seconded.