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Irgy comments on Crazy Ideas Thread - Less Wrong Discussion

22 Post author: Gunnar_Zarncke 07 July 2015 09:40PM

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Comment author: Irgy 16 July 2015 07:05:13AM 2 points [-]

In the interest of steel-manning the Christian view; there's a difference between thinking briefly and abstractly of the idea of something and indulging in fantasy about it.

If you spend hours imagining the feel of the gun in your hand, the sound of the money sliding smoothly into the bag, the power and control, the danger and excitement, it would be fair to say that there's a point where you could have made the choice to stop.

Comment author: Lumifer 16 July 2015 02:24:47PM 2 points [-]

there's a difference between thinking briefly and abstractly of the idea of something and indulging in fantasy about it.

Yes, of course, there is a whole range of, let's say, involvement in these thoughts. But if I understand mainstream Catholicism correctly, even a brief lustful glance at the neighbor's wife is a sin. Granted, a lesser sin than constructing a whole porn movie in your head, but still a sin.

Comment author: VoiceOfRa 21 July 2015 08:07:01AM 3 points [-]

Yes, and in Yudkowskian rationality, lying to oneself is a sin.

What's wrong with having a conception of sin that includes thoughts?

Comment author: Irgy 16 July 2015 11:29:45PM 1 point [-]

Well that's why I called it steel-manning, I can't promise anything about the reasonableness of the common interpretation.