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NancyLebovitz comments on Recent de-convert saturated by religious community; advice? - Less Wrong Discussion

30 Post author: jwhendy 04 April 2011 03:25AM

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Comment author: NancyLebovitz 04 April 2011 07:50:26PM 2 points [-]

For example, I might look at "telling the truth" and see how were I to be compelled to tell every fat person they were fat or every person I found ugly that they were ugly, that this would be quite undesirable and increase my overall social dissatisfaction.

Let's flip that one around. What do you think might happen if you were uninhibited about telling people what you liked about them?

Comment author: jwhendy 04 April 2011 09:41:07PM 1 point [-]

Intuitively, I think I'd make a lot of people happier, but it might depend. If others were around, it might make them jealous. Or if it were the "wrong" sorts of things (attractiveness, how great their breath smelled, or anything else that makes someone a little uncomfortable), it might have the reverse effect.

If you mean it simply and basically as in telling people I really appreciated their suggestion to a problem, their work ethic, skills I admire, their level of compassion, etc... then I think it would make many people happier and feel more valuable.

They might reciprocate, as well. Double win.

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