Viliam_Bur comments on The best 15 words - Less Wrong

12 Post author: apophenia 03 October 2013 09:08AM

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Comment author: Viliam_Bur 06 October 2013 08:16:08AM 1 point [-]

Because it is incompatible with the beliefs of my tribe.

Because it is clear and simple, and therefore unfit to signal my sophistication.

Or because there are some specific technical reasons why it is wrong.

I guess these are the three most frequent reasons, perhaps even in the decreasing order of frequency, why clear and simple answers are wrong.

Comment author: DysgraphicProgrammer 07 October 2013 03:26:27PM 1 point [-]

Because the problem is complex and your clear, simple solutions has at least 3 knock-on effects, one of which will make the original problem worse. And the other 2 will cause new complex problems in 10 years time.

The clear, simple solution to "X is to expensive" is "Declare a cheaper price for X by government fiat."

By the time you have compensated for the knock-on effects, regulated to prevent cheaters, and taxed to pay for costs, the solution is no longer simple.

Comment author: [deleted] 07 October 2013 05:13:50AM -1 points [-]

The third one sounds a lot like “or anything else”.