David_Gerard comments on Share Your Anti-Akrasia Tricks - Less Wrong

20 Post author: Vladimir_Golovin 15 May 2009 07:06PM

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Comment author: David_Gerard 07 May 2011 12:31:01PM -1 points [-]

Another type of "fear of anti-akrasia techniques" that sometimes occurs, is fear/mistrust of what one's own conscious decision-making process might goof up, if that decision-making process is abruptly given increased power. (This differs from Nominull’s description, because in this scenario you don’t specifically fear surfing the internet less, or any other specific foreseen change; you fear the effects of suddenly removing a system of internal checks and balances, and handing your internal reins over to a new and untested cognitive subsystem.)

It strikes me that this is similar to theists' fear of taking God away and morality then being undetermined: they don't trust themselves, or the rest of us. (But we knew that.) It's interesting to consider it as a more general case of fear of thought about thought. The roots of anti-rationality get everywhere.