lfghjkl comments on Open Thread, Jun. 1 - Jun. 7, 2015 - Less Wrong

3 Post author: Gondolinian 01 June 2015 12:45AM

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Comment author: DataPacRat 01 June 2015 01:04:53PM -2 points [-]

You have obviously taken some time to work out your reply to my post; however, it does not seem to address what I thought was my salient point. So I hope you will forgive me if I try rephrasing, in order to evoke a somewhat different reply from you.

I have certain goals, which I'll simplify as NotDying, and which you appear to emotively associate with 1980's-90's extropianism. I can more likely achieve that goal by applying LW-style rationality. I have just come up with a small step which may allow users of LW-style rationality to adjust their Type 1 thinking in a preferred direction. Thus, using "Mort!" as an expletive contributes, in a very slight way, to my achieving NotDying.

Your stated goal appears to be to increase the number of people who can more effectively get what they want out of life, by applying something similar to LW-style rationality. You appear to want to achieve your goal by minimizing the extropian/transhumanist aspects of LW-style rationality. Thus, using "Mort!" as an expletive runs contrary to your goal.

If the above is at least roughly accurate, then: is there any fashion in which I can increase my odds of achieving NotDying by cooperating with your subgoal of minimizing extropianism in LW? If not, then is there any fashion in which I can increase my odds of achieving NotDying by assisting you with your terminal goal, even if we disagree about your subgoal?

Comment author: lfghjkl 01 June 2015 02:00:04PM 9 points [-]

Thus, using "Mort!" as an expletive contributes, in a very slight way, to my achieving NotDying.

I disagree. Using "mort" as a swear word would be extremely low status. You'd only come across as the angry weird guy who doesn't like death. Associating "being against death" with "being socially oblivious" will not further your goal, please don't do this.

Comment author: DataPacRat 01 June 2015 02:13:22PM -2 points [-]

I don't think you have to worry as much as your post seems to indicate you do. As best as I can recall, in the last decade or so, I have sworn aloud approximately once - and I was alone when I did that. (IIRC, it was when I thought I'd discovered my VPN had started blocking access to certain political sites.)