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ChristianKl comments on Rationality Quotes from people associated with LessWrong - Less Wrong Discussion

24 Post author: ChristianKl 29 July 2013 01:19PM

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Comment author: Kawoomba 30 July 2013 10:31:37AM 2 points [-]

The term 'idiot' contains a value judgement that a certain person isn't worth arguing with.

Except that often it can't be avoided/ is "worth" it if only for status/hierarchy squabbling reasons (i.e. even when the arguments' contents don't matter).

Comment author: ChristianKl 30 July 2013 10:36:03AM 3 points [-]

Except that often it can't be avoided/ is "worth" it if only for status/hierarchy squabbling reasons (i.e. even when the arguments' contents don't matter).

That's why it's not a good idea to think of others as idiots.

Comment author: Kawoomba 30 July 2013 10:39:11AM 0 points [-]

Indeed, just as it can be smart to "forget" when you have a terminal condition. The "pretend it's different" from my ancestor comment sometimes works fine from an instrumental rationality perspective, just not from an epistemic one.

Comment author: ChristianKl 30 July 2013 10:42:50AM 1 point [-]

Whether someone is worth arguing with is a subjective value judgement.

Comment author: Kawoomba 30 July 2013 10:44:05AM 0 points [-]

And given your values you'd ideally arrive at those through some process other than the one you use to judge, say, a new apartment?

Comment author: ChristianKl 30 July 2013 10:54:22AM 2 points [-]

I think that trying to understand the worldview of people who are very different from you is often useful.

Trying to explain ideas in a way that you never explained them before can also be useful.

Comment author: Kawoomba 30 July 2013 05:53:43PM 0 points [-]

I agree. I hope I didn't give the impression that I didn't. Usefulness belongs to instrumental rationality more so than to epistemic rationality.