Philip_W comments on Rationality Quotes Thread October 2015 - Less Wrong

3 Post author: elharo 03 October 2015 01:23PM

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Comment author: AndHisHorse 26 October 2015 12:29:49PM 2 points [-]

An important part of the quote, it seems, is "may be" the most oppressive. Only if the goodness of these "omnipotent moral busybodies" is actually so different from our own that we suffer under it is there an issue; a goodness well-executed would perhaps never even be called a tyranny at all.

Comment author: Lumifer 26 October 2015 02:39:46PM -1 points [-]

I think you entirely missed the point.

Comment author: Philip_W 27 October 2015 07:42:15AM 6 points [-]

I don't think that helps AndHisHorse figure out the point.

Comment author: Lumifer comment score below threshold [+] (6 children)

Comment author: Philip_W 31 October 2015 11:41:05AM 4 points [-]

You may not be able to make a horse drink, but you can still lead it to water rather than merely point out it's thirsty. Teaching is a thing that people do with demonstrated beneficial results across a wide range of topics. Why would this be an exception?

Comment author: dxu 01 November 2015 02:32:33AM * 3 points [-]

I think you overestimate the extent to which many LW users comment to help others understand things, as opposed to (say) gain social status at their expense.

Comment author: Philip_W 01 November 2015 09:54:25AM * 3 points [-]

Be careful when defining the winner as someone other than the one currently sitting on a mound of utility.

Most lesswrong users at least profess to want to be above social status games, so calling people out on it increases expected comment quality and personal social status/karma, at least a little.

Comment author: dxu 03 November 2015 06:33:43PM 4 points [-]

Most lesswrong users at least profess to want to be above social status games

Unfortunately, professing something does not make it true any more than putting a sign saying "Cold" on a refrigerator that isn't plugged in will make it cold.

Comment author: Lumifer 01 November 2015 10:18:16PM 0 points [-]

rather than merely point out it's thirsty.

I'm not pointing out it's thirsty, I'm pointing out there is no water where it thinks to drink.

Comment author: Philip_W 04 November 2015 06:10:24PM * -1 points [-]

In the analogy, water represents the point of the quote (possibly as applied to CEV). You're saying there is no point. I don't understand what you're trying to say in a way that is meaningful, but I won't bother asking because 'you can't do my thinking for me'.

Edit: fiiiine, what do you mean?

Philip_W comments on Rationality Quotes Thread October 2015 - Less Wrong

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