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gwern comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 6 - Less Wrong Discussion

6 Post author: Unnamed 27 November 2010 08:25AM

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Tags: harry_potter fanfiction fiction hpmor

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Comment author: gwern 29 November 2010 04:26:08PM *  30 points [-]

But "pessimistic" wasn't the correct word to describe Professor Quirrell's problem - if a problem it truly was, and not the superior wisdom of experience. But to Harry it looked like Professor Quirrell was constantly interpreting everything in the worst possible light. If you handed Professor Quirrell a glass that was 90% full, he'd tell you that the 10% empty part proved that no one really cared about water.

Well. That settles it for me - Quirrel is based off Robin Hanson.

EDIT: It saddens me a little that this is my most-upvoted comment ever.

Comment author: sanyasi 30 November 2010 05:17:53AM 7 points [-]

And Mad Eye is Bruce Schneier.

Comment author: gwern 30 November 2010 04:38:39PM 2 points [-]

Is he really? I've read Schneier for years and I don't get any vibes off Moody. For example, Moody espouses all sorts of complicated theories which are the sort of 'movie plots' that Schneier derides.

If anyone, I think Mad Eye is James Jesus Angleton, or possibly Moody is an 'anti-Schneier'. (Personally, I think Eliezer is simply exaggerating Moody in the spirit of I'll-show-you-true-constant-vigilance!)

Comment author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 03 December 2010 06:53:35AM 4 points [-]

Because Moody wonders whether the Muggles are just pretending to have wards - that's a Schneierism.

Comment author: TobyBartels 06 December 2010 05:16:13AM 1 point [-]

cargo-cult fencing

Comment author: AdShea 01 December 2010 01:04:57AM 3 points [-]

Well, what would Schiner be like with the Eye of Vance? When you can easily protect yourself from non-movie-plot problems through magic coupled with amazing situational awareness, the movie-plot problems get to be what's left (not to mention that the wizarding world seems to breed movie-plot villians).

Comment author: Vaniver 02 December 2010 02:06:00PM 6 points [-]

Man, this just makes the fanfic-as-idealized-autobiography bells go off in my head even more.

(Also, I totally sympathize on the most-upvoted sadness.)

Comment author: mag 02 December 2010 05:30:56PM 2 points [-]

You hit the nail on the head when you describe the story as "idealized autobiography," but I think it makes sense for one's most important ideological frenemies (Hanson) to end up getting represented in a satire chiefly about ideology.

Comment author: WrongBot 29 November 2010 07:50:08PM 4 points [-]

I've been getting this impression, too; there have been several occasions where Quirrell has advocated something very close to Hanson's signaling theory of human behavior.

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