Viliam_Bur comments on Dark Arts of Rationality - Less Wrong

136 Post author: So8res 19 January 2014 02:47AM

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Comment author: Viliam_Bur 16 January 2014 11:44:58AM *  34 points [-]

If you find yourself on a playing field where everyone else is a TrollBot (players who cooperate with you if and only if you cooperate with DefectBot) then you should cooperate with DefectBots and defect against TrollBots.

An example from real life: DefectBot = God, TrollBots = your religious neighbors. God does not reward you for your prayers, but your neighbors may punish you socially for lack of trying. You defect against your neighbors by secretly being a member of an atheist community, and generally by not punishing other nonbelievers.

I wonder what techniques could we use to make the compartmentalization stronger and easy to turn off when it's no longer needed. Clear boundaries. A possible solution would be to use the different set of beliefs only while wearing a silly hat. Not literally silly, because I might want to use it in public without handicapping myself. But some environmental reminder. An amulet, perhaps?

Comment author: alicey 19 January 2014 12:20:14PM *  11 points [-]

she who wears the magic bracelet of future-self delegation http://i.imgur.com/5Bfq4we.png prefers to do as she is ordered

Comment author: TheOtherDave 16 January 2014 03:41:08PM 9 points [-]

When I was being raised an Orthodox Jew, there were several talismans that served essentially this purpose (though of course my rabbis would not have phrased it that way).

Comment author: Oligopsony 16 January 2014 11:49:01PM 4 points [-]

Amusingly enough, the example of TrollBot that came to mind was the God expounded on in many parts of the New Testament, who will punish you iff you do not unconditionally cooperate with others, including your oppressors.

Comment author: Error 16 January 2014 04:55:24PM 2 points [-]

An amulet, perhaps?

A lucky rabbit's foot?

Comment author: Viliam_Bur 17 January 2014 09:24:56AM 2 points [-]

I probably couldn't stop noticing that it was in fact one unlucky rabbit.

A rabbit's footprint, maybe.

Comment author: FeepingCreature 27 January 2014 07:09:27AM 7 points [-]

I probably couldn't stop noticing that it was in fact one unlucky rabbit.

Well yeah, you're retroactively stealing his luck.

Comment author: undermind 19 January 2014 09:47:39PM 2 points [-]

Not recommended with a Rabbi's foot, either.