hyporational comments on Rationality Quotes December 2013 - Less Wrong

7 Post author: Cyan 17 December 2013 08:43PM

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Comment author: hyporational 03 December 2013 04:01:15AM *  5 points [-]

That's a great way to make them lose their trust in medical professionals indefinitely. It's probably not a good idea to reinforce their delusions, either.

Comment author: Alejandro1 03 December 2013 05:15:25AM 4 points [-]

Fair point, and I don't mean to endorse the quote as psychiatric advice (nor do I believe the quote was intended as such). I took is as an amusing expression of a general principle, that people with deluded beliefs may be quite rational in following the consequences of those beliefs, which should be taken into account when dealing with them.

Comment author: hyporational 03 December 2013 05:20:24AM *  4 points [-]

I didn't think you endorsed it, but if an analogy is problematic, then the principle it's trying to express might be too.

Comment author: DanielLC 21 December 2013 02:12:53AM 0 points [-]

Is the point to keep them from injuring themselves while trying to break the walls down?

Comment author: Alejandro1 21 December 2013 03:21:30AM *  2 points [-]

The quote in its original context:

The authors also don’t seem to be aware of Jerusalem Syndrome, a form of psychotic religious delusion that afflicts about 100 visitors to that city each year. In [a] fascinating Journeyman Pictures video on Jerusalem Syndrome, the head of the city’s Kfar Shaul Mental Health Center describes some of the many sufferers he has encountered and treated over the years — dozens of people claiming to be Jesus or the Virgin Mary, and even one Canadian tourist who claimed to be Samson and who tore out the bars of a window to escape his hospital ward. (Note: When treating mental patients who think they’re Samson, cut their hair before putting them in the locked ward. And keep them away from stone pillars.)

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