Eliezer_Yudkowsky comments on Welcome to Less Wrong! - Less Wrong

48 Post author: MBlume 16 April 2009 09:06AM

You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.

Article Navigation

Comments (1953)
Tags: introductions welcome newcomers community

Comments (1953)

You are viewing a single comment's thread. Show more comments above.

Comment author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 02 February 2010 09:28:09PM 5 points [-]

But my dilemma is that Chris Langan is the smartest known living man, which makes it really hard for me to shrug the CTMU off as nonsense.

Eh, I'm smart too. Looks to me like you were right the first time and need to have greater confidence in yourself.

Comment author: Morendil 02 February 2010 09:55:01PM 1 point [-]

More to the point, you do not immediately fail the "common ground" test.

Pragmatically, I don't care how smart you are, but whether you can make me smarter. If you are so much smarter than I as to not even bother, I'd be wasting my time engaging your material.

Comment author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 02 February 2010 10:05:18PM 3 points [-]

I should note that the ability to explain things isn't the same attribute as intelligence. I am lucky enough to have it. Other legitimately intelligent people do not.

Comment author: Morendil 02 February 2010 10:11:30PM 0 points [-]

If your goal is to convey ideas to others, instrumental rationality seems to demand you develop that capacity.

Comment author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 02 February 2010 10:26:40PM 3 points [-]

Considering the extraordinary rarity of good explainers in this entire civilization, I'm saddened to say that talent may have something to do with it, not just practice.

Comment author: realitygrill 20 February 2010 05:28:52PM 0 points [-]

I wonder what I should do. I'm smart, I seem to be able to explain things that I know to people well.. to my lament, I got the same problem as Thomas: I apparently suck at learning things so that they're internalized and in my long term memory.

Comment author: MrHen 02 February 2010 10:06:30PM 1 point [-]

I can learn from dead people, stupid people, or by watching a tree for an hour. I don't think I understand your point.

Comment author: Morendil 02 February 2010 10:22:12PM 0 points [-]

I didn't use the word "learn". My point is about a smart person conveying their ideas to someone. Taboo "smart". Distinguish ability to reach goals, and ability to score high on mental aptitude tests. If they are goal-smart, and their goal is to convince, they will use their iq-smarts to develop the capacity to convince.

Powered by Reddit Powered by Reddit