adamzerner comments on Is love a good idea? - Less Wrong

1 Post author: adamzerner 22 February 2014 06:59AM

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Comment author: Manfred 22 February 2014 07:16:12AM *  1 point [-]

Congratulations, you have violated Betteridge's law.

When I think about it, I come to the conclusion that I'm always trying to optimize my happiness.

Better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied.

-J.S. Mill

Comment author: adamzerner 22 February 2014 07:23:10AM *  1 point [-]

It sounds like you're refuting my thoughts because they're based on the belief that I should optimize my happiness. If so, could you elaborate? Just quoting Mill isn't a refutation.

Comment author: Manfred 22 February 2014 07:43:47AM *  8 points [-]

Well, I mean, you're free to optimize what you want. But I doubt you'd want to be turned into a pig in exchange for slightly more happiness. Humans are pretty complicated as a rule, and happiness is only one of many things we like. Valuing the well-being of other people is totally okay.

I forget where this quote is from: if humans were all alike, love would be the arbitrary elevation of one person over a billion equals. But each person is truly special; we in our limitedness merely only appreciate the specialness of those we know well.