dxu comments on Rationality Quotes Thread October 2015 - Less Wrong

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

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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.