Larks comments on Rationality Quotes April 2013 - Less Wrong

6 Post author: Vaniver 08 April 2013 02:00AM

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Comment author: Stephanie_Cunnane 03 April 2013 12:24:48AM 8 points [-]

If a statement is false, that's the worst thing you can say about it. You don't need to say it's heretical. And if it isn't false, it shouldn't be suppressed.

-Paul Graham

Comment author: Larks 03 April 2013 03:07:25AM 5 points [-]

Despite agreeing with the rest of the essay (which is very good), this is not true. Tiresomely standard counter-example: "Heil Hitler! No, there are no Jews in my attic."

Comment author: Osuniev 03 April 2013 08:03:02AM 10 points [-]

I would say this is not ALWAYS true. But for the purpose of civilized discussion between human beings, it does seem like a very useful rule of thumb.

Comment author: gothgirl420666 06 April 2013 01:10:59AM 3 points [-]

Substitute "statement" with "belief".

Comment author: Larks 06 April 2013 06:42:19PM *  3 points [-]

Sorry, I don't understand. I believe there are Jews in my attic, but this belief should be suppressed, rather than spread.

Comment author: TimS 06 April 2013 06:47:52PM 1 point [-]

This seems like fallacy of the excluded middle. Suppressed and spread are not the only two options.

Comment author: Larks 06 April 2013 09:11:56PM 4 points [-]

If the nazi starts to believe it, you should suppress such a belief (probably by acting inocculuously, but if suppressing it violently would work better you should do that instead.)

Comment author: gothgirl420666 08 April 2013 06:21:48PM 1 point [-]

Fair enough.

Comment author: dspeyer 21 April 2013 01:55:55AM 0 points [-]

That statement is bad for the nazis, who are now unable to achieve their desires. The statement is about instrumental badness, not universal moral badness. They're really quite different.