timtyler comments on Guardians of Ayn Rand - Less Wrong

57 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 18 December 2007 06:24AM

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Comment author: timtyler 08 June 2011 12:38:50PM *  2 points [-]

It seems possible that some with far-out ideas turn to rationalism as a natural part of their defense of them - since if your beliefs are rational, then that makes them OK.

In such cases, the far-out ideas would come first, and the interest in rational thinking would follow along afterwards.

The interest in rational thought should normally be fairly theraputic. However, much depends on how deep it goes. Objectivism may not score too highly there.

Comment author: Peterdjones 08 June 2011 01:48:23PM *  1 point [-]

The interest in rational thought should normally be fairly theraputic.

Only if combined with an interest in listening to criticism of your own ideas and to ideas other than your own. Otherwise it is rationalisation.