VKS comments on Rationality Quotes April 2012 - Less Wrong

4 Post author: Oscar_Cunningham 03 April 2012 12:42AM

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Comment author: VKS 03 April 2012 07:51:55AM 18 points [-]

Pedantry and mastery are opposite attitudes toward rules. To apply a rule to the letter, rigidly, unquestioningly, in cases where it fits and in cases where it does not fit, is pedantry. ... To apply a rule with natural ease, with judgment, noticing the cases where it fits, and without ever letting the words of the rule obscure the purpose of the action or the opportunities of the situation, is mastery.

  • George Pólya, How to Solve It
Comment author: MixedNuts 09 April 2012 11:59:30AM 5 points [-]

...and that's why the rule doesn't apply to the reference class of cases I just constructed to only contain my own, Officer.

Comment author: Strange7 12 April 2012 06:32:42PM 2 points [-]

At which point the officer will demonstrate in no uncertain terms who is the master in the current situation.

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