CellBioGuy comments on What are "the really good ideas" that Peter Thiel says are too dangerous to mention? - Less Wrong

2 Post author: James_Miller 12 April 2015 09:07PM

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Comment author: CellBioGuy 12 April 2015 11:58:44PM 18 points [-]

Ooh ooh I have one:

That Thiel's real reason for saying such things is pure self-promotion.

Comment author: eternal_neophyte 13 April 2015 03:37:00AM 3 points [-]

Should we conclude that it is for any particular reason?

Comment author: Oligopsony 13 April 2015 04:17:54AM 1 point [-]

Thiel enjoys the spotlight, he's his own boss and could spend all day rolling around in giant piles of money if he wanted to, he's said plenty of things publicly that are way more NRx-y than the monopoly thing and he's obviously fine.

Comment author: James_Miller 13 April 2015 04:53:40AM 3 points [-]

A billionaire who enjoys the spotlight does something like buying a professional sports team or media company or running for office. Thiel's behavior is not consistent with him craving publicity.

Comment author: CellBioGuy 13 April 2015 12:33:28PM *  5 points [-]

Theres a difference between Trump-style publicity cravings and the narrower tastes of the nerdier subsets, I think. Status games are played in the arenas one cares about.

Comment author: eternal_neophyte 13 April 2015 04:45:30AM 2 points [-]

Seems that you're arguing that it would be consistent with the behaviour of someone of Thiel's stripe. I don't believe that's fair, it smacks to me of begging the question (i.e. he's a prima donna and therefore his current behaviour is that of a prima donna).

Comment author: CellBioGuy 13 April 2015 12:31:16PM *  5 points [-]

Its ever so convenient. "Im such a smart and unconventional guy I know all these important things that nobody will say. But i'll just tell you I know them without saying them."

He gets to sound wise without needing to actually say anything at all, and everyone gets to project whatever non-popular ideas they have onto him and conclude he is One Of Us.

Brilliant really.

Comment author: eternal_neophyte 13 April 2015 05:29:06PM *  3 points [-]

That's uncharitable. Has Thiel done or said things (which I must be unaware of) the earn the reputation of a viper?

Comment author: pangel 13 April 2015 11:39:17PM *  0 points [-]

Straussian thinking seems like a deep well full of status moves !

  • Level 0 - Laugh at the conspiracy-like idea. Shows you are in the pack.
  • Level 1 - As Strauss does, explain it / present instances of it. Shows you are the guru.
  • Level 2 - Like Thiel, hint at it while playing the Straussian game. Shows you are an initiate.
  • Level 3 - Criticize it for failing too often (bad thinking attractor, ideas that are hard to check and deploy usual rationality tools on). Shows you see through the phyg's distortion field.
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