Benquo comments on Only say 'rational' when you can't eliminate the word - Less Wrong

55 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 31 May 2012 06:56AM

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Comment author: Benquo 31 May 2012 02:03:03PM 6 points [-]

I agree.

Rationality is kind of like Voldemort.

But seriously, when we keep using the word rational to describe what we ought to do or think, when we really should just say "what action accomplishes this specific goal I have?" or "what's really there, and what observations do I expect?", It lets us be lazy and use "rationality" as an identity, rather than a way to win.