Unknowns comments on Rationality Quotes December 2014 - Less Wrong

8 Post author: Salemicus 03 December 2014 10:33PM

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Comment author: arundelo 23 December 2014 11:45:08AM 6 points [-]

"Hah! Please. Find me a more universally rewarded quality than hubris. Go on, I'll wait. The word is just ancient Greek for 'uppity,' as far as I'm concerned. Hubris isn't something that destroys you, it's something you are punished for. By the gods! Well, I've never met a god, just powerful human beings with a lot to gain by keeping people scared."

-- Lisa Bradley, a character in Brennan Lee Mulligan & Molly Ostertag's Strong Female Protagonist

Comment author: Unknowns 23 December 2014 05:38:28PM 3 points [-]

I'm not sure this is very rational. Assuming that you are more competent than you really are -- which seems to be a matter of hubris -- is indeed capable of destroying you.

Comment author: shminux 23 December 2014 10:40:38PM *  -1 points [-]

Yes, but more favorable outcomes are also possible, like becoming the [e.g. 43rd] President.

Comment author: DanielLC 27 December 2014 08:56:59PM 1 point [-]

I think the way it works is that people are built to have hubris for signalling purposes, and then they're built to be lazy and risk-averse to counter the dangers of hubris. If you don't get rid of risk-aversion and akrasia but you do get rid of hubris, that can be problematic.

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