phaedrus comments on Least Signaling Activities? - Less Wrong

27 Post author: RobinHanson 22 May 2009 02:46AM

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Comment author: RichardKennaway 22 May 2009 06:53:21AM 4 points [-]

Signalling can be read into any activity communicated to anyone else. That leaves only things done on one's own that one does not customarily talk about.

Meditation.

Excretion.

Why are you interested in locating the least signalling activities?

Comment author: phaedrus 27 April 2010 07:57:36AM 0 points [-]

"Meditation"

-- I think that even there, it sort of starts out as an endeavor to signal to self "non-status-seekingness". This is why I think that the "zen patriarchs" in the koan stories whoop the newbie wards and humble them initially to break down their status-seeking natures, so that they may move on to the next level of meditation where they are not competing and signaling to themselves (and other apprentices) that they are best at "not vainly scrounging to be the best".

Comment author: RichardKennaway 27 April 2010 11:36:27AM 3 points [-]

If we're going to start describing private behaviour as "signalling to oneself", then the signalling concept has been generalised to the point of vacuity.

Comment author: tut 27 April 2010 01:09:04PM 1 point [-]

If a behavior is described as "signaling to oneself" that means that the behavior in question will not in itself further the goal it is aimed at, but is meant to strengthen the part of your identity which makes you value that goal.