anonym comments on Survey Results - Less Wrong

48 Post author: Yvain 12 May 2009 10:09PM

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Comment author: Vladimir_Nesov 14 May 2009 09:22:52PM *  2 points [-]

But if so many lied, it would also be a surprising fact, that doesn't seem to be a better explanation.

Comment author: anonym 17 May 2009 01:11:43AM 9 points [-]

It's only a little more surprising than somebody at an online forum for bodybuilders lying about how much they can bench press.

Comment author: Z_M_Davis 17 May 2009 04:40:43AM *  5 points [-]

I take it the reason it's not equally surprising is that few bodybuilders are as monomaniacally obsessed with The Truth as we are?

Comment author: anonym 17 May 2009 05:37:35PM 5 points [-]

Most human beings in any forum, anywhere, will be more obsessed with signaling and other concerns than The Truth -- even in a pseudo-anonymous survey -- and will be subject to most of the standard cognitive biases that bodybuilders will be, even if to a lesser degree. Being obsessed with The Truth does not mean never lying or exaggerating (or reporting just that one internet IQ test you took that was 1 std dev higher than your real-world test).