Nick_Tarleton comments on Congratulations to Paris Hilton - Less Wrong

-2 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 19 October 2007 12:31AM

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Comment author: Nick_Tarleton 19 October 2007 06:07:40PM 0 points [-]

Why pick that particular occasion to make the protest, rather than, say, someone buying a speedboat?

Off the top of my head, that someone is interested in cryonics is very strong Bayesian evidence that they'll be easier than average to persuade to donate to SIAI. On the other hand, this would equally justify suggesting to them to cut back on other luxuries to donate. But like Michael Vassar suggested and I elaborated on, since the benefit of cryonics is far-off and uncertain, it may take less willpower to give up than other luxuries. But surely not that much less...

(As you might guess, I'm currently trying to make this decision for myself.)

I hate to suggest it of high-caliber rationalists, but I wonder if the decision to forgo cryonics might be sometimes partly motivated by conspicuous self-sacrifice signaling, or even if the altruistic justification is sometimes partly a rationalization for forgoing cryonics in favor of other luxury goods.