Dorikka comments on Rationality Quotes February 2013 - Less Wrong

2 Post author: arundelo 05 February 2013 10:20PM

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Comment author: James_Miller 01 February 2013 07:41:37PM 39 points [-]

You want accurate beliefs and useful emotions.

From a participant at the January CFAR workshop. I don't remember who. This struck me as an excellent description of what rationalists seek.

Comment author: Dorikka 01 February 2013 10:49:12PM 22 points [-]

People often seem to get these mixed up, resulting in "You want useful beliefs and accurate emotions."

Comment author: FiftyTwo 02 February 2013 06:36:01PM 9 points [-]

Not sure what an "accurate emotion" would mean, feel like some sort of domain error. (e.g. a blue sound.)

Comment author: James_Miller 02 February 2013 07:38:10PM *  15 points [-]

An accurate emotion = "I'm angry because I should be angry because she is being really, really mean to me."

A useful emotion = "Showing empathy towards someone being mean to me will minimize the cost to me of others' hostility."

Comment author: AdeleneDawner 02 February 2013 07:40:30PM 4 points [-]

Where's that 'should' coming from? (Or are you just explaining the concept rather than endorsing it?)

Comment author: James_Miller 02 February 2013 08:34:56PM 4 points [-]

I mean in the way most (non-LW) people would interpret it, so explaining not endorsing.

Comment author: James_Miller 02 February 2013 05:34:27PM *  4 points [-]

Contrasting "accurate beliefs and useful emotions" with "useful beliefs and accurate emotions" would probably make a good exercise for a novice rationalist.