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polymathwannabe comments on Open Thread, May 19 - 25, 2014 - Less Wrong Discussion

2 Post author: somnicule 19 May 2014 04:49AM

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Comment author: Benito 20 May 2014 04:40:40PM *  2 points [-]

My problem with these questions is that it sorta gets difficult quickly. If you stopped aging today, I imagine there would very quickly be overpopulation issues and many old patients in hospitals wouldn't die etc. and yet I am finding it difficult to think of major issues with the ending of violence (boxing champions would be out of a job). And even now, I'm sure someone's thought of a counter example, and then the discussion would be harder. And so even though I think that aging is more important than violence as a focus, the question asks a hypothetical that is never going to occur (being able to just make that decision, I mean) and takes us away from reality into the nitty/gritty of a literal non-problem.

Why did you ask?

Edit: I didn't mean to make a case for either side, I was trying to suggest that the question itself seems unhelpful. We'll end up with a complicated technical discussion which is unlikely to have any practical value.

Comment author: polymathwannabe 20 May 2014 06:37:05PM 1 point [-]

If you take into account the risk of permanent brain damage, boxing (as well as rugby/football) is sacrificeable.

Comment author: JoshuaFox 23 May 2014 06:40:14AM 0 points [-]

Never did any of those myself, but I think that being consensual, they don't count as violence.

Comment author: polymathwannabe 23 May 2014 03:20:23PM 1 point [-]

It's complicated. Power dynamics at school and at home, as well as joblessness in some countries, may make a sports career less than voluntary.