AlexU comments on Extreme Rationality: It's Not That Great - Less Wrong

140 Post author: Yvain 09 April 2009 02:44AM

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Comment author: AlexU 10 April 2009 02:10:34PM 3 points [-]

I've talked before in this same vein about the limits of rationality. One can be a perfect rationalist and always know what to do in a given situation, yet still be unable to do it for whatever reason. This suggests that pretty strongly that good "rationalists" would be wise to invest their time into other areas as well, since rationalism alone won't turn you into the ubermensch. It won't make you healthy and fit, it won't enable you to talk to girls any better or make friends any easier. (And I object to any conception of "rationalism" so sweepingly broad that it manages to subsume every possible endeavor you'd set out on, e.g., the old "a good rationalist would realize the importance of these things and figure out meta-techniques for developing these skills.")