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Velochy comments on Welcome to Less Wrong! - Less Wrong
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Hello,
My name is Margus Niitsoo and Im a 22 year old Computer Science doctorial student in Tartu, Estonia. I have wide interests that span religion and psychology as well (I am a pantheist by the way.. so somewhat religious but unaffected by most of the classical theism bashing). I got here through OB which I got to when reading about AI and the thing that shall not be named.
I do not identify myself as a rationalist for I only recently understood how emotional a person I really am and id like to enjoy it before trying to get it under control again. However, I am interested in understanding human behaviour as best I can and this blog has given me many new insights I doubt I could have gotten somewhere else.
Note that rationality does not necessarily oppose emotion.
Feeling Rational
The Twelve Virtues
What if the iron is hot, but if you flinch, you'll be shot? Fear of the iron won't help you stay steady, and neither will fear of the bullet.
(Note: IAWYC, I'm just taking this opportunity to nitpick the silly notion that "truth" determines or even should determine your emotions. Emotions should be chosen to support your desired actions and results.)
My fear of the bullet would cause me to want to avoid it, which would mean I must ensure that I do not flinch. The decision to flinch or not to flinch is in the hands of low-level circuitry in my brain, and the current inputs to that circuitry will tend to produce a flinch. So I would be well advised to change those inputs if I can, by visualizing myself on a beach, curled up in bed, sitting at my computer writing comments on Less Wrong, or some other calming, comforting environment. If this is a form of self-deception, it is one I am comfortable with. It is of the same kind that I practiced as a member of the bardic conspiracy, and I don't think that hurt my epistemic rationality any.
Another shot in the battle over priority of epistemic or instrumental rationality?
Note that rationality and emotion are not mutually exclusive, and thinking that they are can get you into trouble. Good reference, anyone? I'd recommend Aristotle.
ETA: Yes, Vladimir_Nesov's link, below, is what I was looking for.
The reference from OB is Feeling Rational.