Algernoq comments on Why I Am Not a Rationalist, or, why several of my friends warned me that this is a cult - Less Wrong

12 Post author: Algernoq 13 July 2014 05:54PM

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Comment author: Algernoq 13 July 2014 11:35:23PM *  2 points [-]

there's pressure to justify my preferences in terms of a higher-level explicit utility function before they can be considered valid

I experienced this too, though I claimed an explicit utility function (making self-replicating robots) that no one was prepared to argue with, so I didn't get anyone telling me my feelings were irrational and should be ignored.

I also noticed some slow decision-making. Recommendation: in a large group, use a heuristic that takes less than 10 minutes of discussion to decide where/when to go for dinner.

Comment author: NancyLebovitz 14 July 2014 08:19:39AM 0 points [-]

Any suggestions for a better heuristic?

Comment author: Toggle 15 July 2014 02:32:15AM 2 points [-]

The 'veto method' has worked quite well for me, although I haven't tested it for groups larger than about ten.

Assuming that the group has reached a consensus on eating, any member of the group is free to suggest a restaurant. After the location is suggested, any member of the group can veto that suggestion, but in exchange the vetoing member is required to suggest a different restaurant. Repeat until a suggestion is made that no member of the group vetoes.

Comment author: NancyLebovitz 15 July 2014 04:43:24PM 1 point [-]

I'm not sure that any of those would take less than 10 minutes for a large group. Also, it gets tougher if any in the group have serious dietary or financial constraints.

Comment author: Algernoq 15 July 2014 12:33:22AM *  0 points [-]

Sure:

  1. take a straw poll to see who wants to go get dinner at time X
  2. if "enough" people want to go, they then pick a restaurant...
  3. anyone can make a pitch for one new restaurant that the group should check out
  4. in a group of n, one person suggests n*2/3 possible restaurants to eat dinner at (max. 7)
  5. everyone else, one at a time, may then either pass or name 2/3 of the restaurants named by the person immediately before them
  6. if reservations are required, calls to the restaurants are made when 2 possibilities remain
  7. when only one restaurant is named, the group goes there.

This algorithm is a work in progress.

Comment author: Prismattic 14 July 2014 11:25:40PM *  0 points [-]

Not a heuristic, but I would suggest an auction. Example: You have 5 people, A and B want seafood, C wants Thai, D wants Mexican, and E wants steak.

E -- I'll pay for 1% of everyone else's bill if we get steak. A -- 2%, seafood, C -- 3%, Thai, B -- 4% seafood (all pass)

Result, A + B get the food they want, but C, D, and E pay less (with B picking up 2.67% of their bills and A picking up 1.33%).

There are edge cases where this doesn't necessarily work well (e.g. someone with a severe food allergy gets stuck bidding a large amount to avoid getting poisoned), but overall I think it functions somewhat similarly to yootling.

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