infotropism comments on It's okay to be (at least a little) irrational - Less Wrong

49 Post author: Kaj_Sotala 12 April 2009 09:06PM

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Comment author: steven0461 13 April 2009 12:28:13AM 0 points [-]

If by believing the falsehood that it's OK to be irrational, we're more likely to believe the truth that we are irrational, then that is an argument in favor in believing that it's OK to be irrational, but it's not obvious to me that this effect often or even ever dominates the more obvious effect that believing that it's OK to be irrational causes one to be more irrational because one thinks that it's OK.

It seems to me that here you're trying to justify a belief by its (prima facie) consequences rather than by the evidence in favor of it, which is something I always find frightening.

Comment author: infotropism 13 April 2009 12:35:32AM 3 points [-]

It isn't admitting that irrationality is good in itself. It is admitting that it's natural, and expected in people, that it isn't shameful.

Once it's ok for someone to be avowedly irrational, it is possible to work on the issue. If it is perceived as wrong, then people are more likely to start doing weird stuff to cover up what they perceive as a shameful flaw, and in our case, that may mean people starting to devote more time and resources towards rational acting, than towards learning the art and applying it for real.

Comment author: steven0461 13 April 2009 12:37:39AM *  5 points [-]

Fair enough; I'd accept this as an argument for shaming irrationality less. I'd be interested in more evidence about how strong the effect is, though.

ETA: the more we shame theft, the more people in moral grey areas will be motivated to believe that what they're doing isn't theft, but we don't accept that as a sufficient argument for saying "it's okay to steal at least a little". Maybe irrationality is different but maybe not.

Comment author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 13 April 2009 01:17:46PM 3 points [-]

One thing that makes irrationality at least a bit different: it's not quite subject to direct personal choice in the same way as theft, or even direct knowledge, but it can be ameliorated over time if you're motivated to pursue suspicions.