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kalium comments on Yet more "stupid" questions - Less Wrong Discussion

7 Post author: NancyLebovitz 28 August 2013 03:58PM

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Comment author: kalium 02 September 2013 04:15:57AM 3 points [-]
  • It has been useful for manipulating my mood and general mindset. ("My life would be more amusing right now if I felt a bit nervous and unsure of reality. Better go read something by Philip K. Dick." Or "I would be more productive if I were feeling inspired by the grandness of the scientific endeavor. Better go read some Golden Age SF.")
  • It is useful for understanding what certain situations feel like without going through them yourself, and therefore can help you empathize with people in those situations whose behavior otherwise does not make sense to you. Memoirs and other nonfiction can also do this, but it's easier to find well-written fiction than well-written nonfiction, and for this purpose the writing must be very good.
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