kilobug comments on The Proper Use of Doubt - Less Wrong

34 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 06 August 2007 08:29PM

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Comment author: kilobug 05 September 2011 03:39:55PM *  0 points [-]

Hi,

Interesting post, but I think you forgot to account for the time issue : « An uninvestigated doubt might as well not exist. » is true if the doubt stays uninvestigated forever. But if it is uninvestigated for now (even for a period of several years), the mere fact there is a doubt means the probability of investigating later on is higher than if there is no doubt at all (P(Investigate_in_10years) and P(Doubt_now) are not independent).

For example, the fact that right now I'm now doubtful about cyronics means that I may investigate the issue later on, with a higher probability that my friends who says "cryonics is non-sense".

So I would reformulate as :

  • A doubt that stays uninvestigated forever might as well not exist

  • An uninvestigated doubt is only useful as it may drive you to investigate in the future.