Kingreaper comments on Mike Darwin on Steve Jobs's hypocritical stance towards death - Less Wrong

25 Post author: Synaptic 08 October 2011 03:32AM

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Comment author: lessdazed 08 October 2011 07:55:13PM 10 points [-]

it would be uncharitable and mean-spirited to speak ill of the dead.

Why?

Comment author: Kingreaper 08 October 2011 09:34:14PM 6 points [-]

I'll agree with Nornagest on the insult to injury part, but there's also a second part:

If you talk about someone's failings after they die, but not before, then you seem to have been waiting until they were no longer available to defend themselves.

IOW: it seems cowardly, and dishonest. Because if they were still around, they might be able to dismiss your allegations.

Comment author: lessdazed 08 October 2011 09:39:50PM 5 points [-]

Can I mitigate people's negative feelings by mostly offering cites of old criticisms?

Comment author: Kingreaper 08 October 2011 09:44:11PM 4 points [-]

That should help, but I'm not certain how much. The problem is that whatever the reason for the rule originally, it's now ingrained as a moral absolute in some people's minds.