alvarojabril comments on A social norm against unjustified opinions? - Less Wrong

11 Post author: Kaj_Sotala 29 May 2009 11:25AM

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Comment author: Annoyance 29 May 2009 09:45:28PM -1 points [-]

I don't know why people of above average intelligence want to make everyone else feel like useless proles

Isn't it obvious? Almost everyone is a "useless prole", as you put it, and even the people who aren't have to sweat blood to avoid that fate.

Recognizing that unpleasant truth is the first step towards becoming non-useless - but most people can't think usefully enough to recognize it in the first place, so the problem perpetuates itself.

I know I'm usually a moron. I've also developed the ability to distinguish quality thinking from moronicity, which makes it possible for me to (slowly, terribly slowly) wean myself away from stupid thinking and reinforce what little quality I can produce. That's what makes it possible for me to occasionally NOT be a moron, at least at a rate greater than chance alone would permit.

It's the vast numbers of morons who believe they're smart, reasonable, worthwhile people that are the problem.

Comment author: alvarojabril 31 May 2009 05:39:35PM 3 points [-]

Annoyance, you're still dodging the question. Joe didn't ask whether or not in your opinion everyone is a useless prole, he asked why it's useful to make people feel like that. Your notion that "social cohesion is the enemy of rationality" was best debunked, I think by pjeby's point here:

http://lesswrong.com/lw/za/a_social_norm_against_unjustified_opinions/rrk

more flies with honey and all that.

Comment author: Annoyance 31 May 2009 11:34:16PM -2 points [-]

I don't want to catch flies.

Comment author: alvarojabril 01 June 2009 05:03:07PM 2 points [-]

Annoyance, your argument has devolved into inanity. If you don't want to popularly cultivate rationality then you disagree with one of the core tenets of this community. It's in the second paragraph of the "about" page:

"Less Wrong is devoted to refining the art of human rationality - the art of thinking. The new math and science deserves to be applied to our daily lives, and heard in our public voices."

Your circular word games do no good for this community.