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skeptical_lurker comments on Welcome to Less Wrong! (July 2012) - Less Wrong
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Are you saying that improving epistemic rationality is important because it benefits others as well as myself? This is true, but there are many other forms of self-improvement that would also have knock-on effects that benefit others.
I have actually read most of the relevant sequences, epistemic rationality really isn't low-hanging fruit anymore for me, although I wish I had known about cognitive biases years ago.
No, I'm saying that improving the epistemic rationality of others benefits everyone, including yourself. It's not just about improving our own rationality as individuals, it's about trying to improve the rationality of people-in-general - 'raising the sanity waterline'.
Ok, I see what you mean now. Yes, this is often true, but again, I am trying to be less preachy (at least IRL) about rationality - if someone believes in astrology, or faith healing, or reincarnation then: (a) their beliefs probably bring them comfort (b) Trying to persuade them is often like banging my head against a brick wall (c) even the notion that there can be such a thing as a correct fact, independent of subjective mental states is very threatening to some people and I don't want to start pointless arguments
So unless they are acting irrationally in a way which harms other people, or they seem capable of having a sensible discussion, or I am drunk, I tend to leave them be.