Manfred comments on Rationality Quotes December 2011 - Less Wrong

4 Post author: Jayson_Virissimo 02 December 2011 06:01AM

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Comment author: Manfred 12 December 2011 03:20:14PM *  5 points [-]

It is something which cannot be taught to younger people, because it is not logical and does not obey laws which are constant.

We have never yet found a single illogical thing. Things, by and large, are pretty ordinary. If something is hard to teach and hard to learn, it's more likely that humans just suck at teaching and learning it. Alternately, some of this stuff sounds like it would really suck to learn, so active avoidance could be part of it too.

Really well written though :D

Comment author: Oscar_Cunningham 12 December 2011 05:42:27PM *  4 points [-]

Alternately, some of this stuff sounds like it would really suck to learn, so active avoidance could be part of it too.

That's the point. The passage is being sarcastic.

Comment author: thelittledoctor 13 December 2011 03:17:06AM 5 points [-]

Of course. What he's describing isn't rationality, it's dysrationalia - and especially the ability to compartmentalize. The rational ones in this passage are the young, who are "intimately and passionately concerned" with the existence of God, Free Love versus Catholic Morality, and so on. More than anything I see this quote as a caution against losing the fire in your belly.