Crux comments on Truth & social graces - Less Wrong

6 Post author: irrational 22 October 2011 04:28AM

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Comment author: Crux 22 October 2011 05:29:14AM *  5 points [-]

More broadly, I was thinking, why am I committed to being truthful, in general?

I would of course need to know more about you to be in a position to know the answer, but I can venture a guess by relating why I personally have the same tendency.

Long story short, other-deception seems to go hand in hand with self-deception. It's extraordinarily epistemically hazardous to lie. Because I value my epistemic rationality to such a great extent, I would use dishonesty only as an absolute last line of defense.

Comment author: Viliam_Bur 22 October 2011 02:27:24PM 2 points [-]

other-deception seems to go hand in hand with self-deception

I would usually agree with this, but now it made me think... when we decide to ignore politeness and other social skills, and dismiss the consequences of our choice by saying "other-deception = self-deception", aren't we already involved in some serious self-deception?