Comment author: WalterL 09 February 2016 05:09:05PM 1 point [-]

It seems like "should" is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence. If you had to turn that word into a sentence or two to let me understand what you mean, what would it be?

Comment author: _rpd 09 February 2016 08:05:16PM 0 points [-]

I would say that actions that make a particular person happy can have consequences that decrease the collective happiness of some group. I might use a tyrant or an addict as examples. In answering the question "What else are you gonna do?" I'd propose at least "As long as you harm no group happiness, do what makes you happy," the Wiccan Rede "An' ye harm none, do what thou wilt" probably being too strict (rules out being Batman, for example).

In response to Altruistic parenting
Comment author: kranalee 09 February 2016 10:16:27AM *  2 points [-]

"They're probably not worth having anyway"

This quote makes me feel uncomfortable. As a young adult i'm asking myself.

When someone is about to be a parent (I think this question stick more to a man than a woman, considering the empathic link that's been biologicaly created between a child and his mother) is he really asking himself: Will they worth it ?

I mean, being a parent is a serious challenge, but a the dawn of "parenthood", are we going to ask ourself if we are ready to face this challenge ? Or if the child will worth it ?

Because to my mind, there's a huge gap between them. But i wonder how i'm going to react when the time will come. That one question makes me sick, but does it belong to our nature of self centered creature to ask something so horrible? Or does it only belongs to the worse parents. I wonder.

Dear Lesswrong's parents, how did you react back then ? Would you kindly tell me ? [I'm 19 by the way]

Comment author: _rpd 09 February 2016 01:54:46PM 0 points [-]

When someone is about to be a parent (I think this question stick more to a man than a woman, considering the empathic link that's been biologicaly created between a child and his mother) is he really asking himself: Will they worth it ?

I think the situation is very different planned vs. unplanned. For me, once the decision was made I had no second thoughts. Also, the little munchkins re-write you emotionally once they arrive <- no one told me about this, so it was actually a bit of a shock.

Comment author: ChristianKl 08 February 2016 07:04:39PM 1 point [-]

Granted, but why won't she trust the mental health advice line?

Basically because there's a high likelihood that the operator on the other side doesn't believe that the spirits she sees exist and suggest she's wrong for believing they exist.

then she may want treatment now.

If that would be the case CronoDAS wouldn't have the problem he has.

Comment author: _rpd 08 February 2016 07:27:06PM 0 points [-]

Often helpline workers are people who formerly needed mental health advice themselves. At least, they'll have training on how to be helpful. I think it's very likely they'll be supportive, and unlikely that they'll be judgmental.

However, this is from a US perspective. Things may be different in other parts of the world.

Comment author: ChristianKl 08 February 2016 06:36:56PM 0 points [-]

That strategy has a good chance of discouraging her from getting treatment later. Getting her to call a mental health advice line that she doesn't trust likely won't be positive.

Comment author: _rpd 08 February 2016 06:57:44PM 0 points [-]

That strategy has a good chance of discouraging her from getting treatment later.

Why do you say that? Also, if she is distressed, then she may want treatment now.

Getting her to call a mental health advice line that she doesn't trust likely won't be positive.

Granted, but why won't she trust the mental health advice line? If she is distressed, she may be willing to consider help from new sources.

If she is not distressed, then CronoDAS can use the mental health advice line to get educated on the options in case she does become distressed.

Comment author: ChristianKl 08 February 2016 06:31:49PM 1 point [-]

Even if that's true, I don't think it implies that all "All human interaction is manipulation". It only implies that a lot of it is at it's driven by an inferiority complex.

Comment author: _rpd 08 February 2016 06:51:51PM 1 point [-]

I think "all human interaction is manipulation" is false on its face. I was putting forward Adler as a candidate for being a modern root of this meme. His teachings are still quite influential.

Comment author: CronoDAS 08 February 2016 05:44:32PM 0 points [-]

Since that time, I have become aware that her symptoms are worse than I had described. Again, I am not at liberty to discuss them.

Comment author: _rpd 08 February 2016 06:09:31PM 0 points [-]

If she is distressed by the symptoms, you could encourage her to contact someone that can educate her about treatment options. There may be a mental health advice line in your area that can refer her or you to free or low cost resources.

Comment author: ChristianKl 08 February 2016 03:42:38PM 1 point [-]

According to those quotes a lot of people are manipulative because of inferiority complexes.

The ordinary relationships of life will never satisfy such children.

That suggests that he only talks about some children and not all children. Some children are manipulative for those reasons but that doens't mean all of them are.

Comment author: _rpd 08 February 2016 03:54:18PM 2 points [-]

My understanding is that Alder thought we all start with an inferiority complex because we all start as small, weak children.

Comment author: ChristianKl 08 February 2016 03:13:30PM *  0 points [-]

Is there a specific quote from Adler about manipulation? Googling "Alfred Adler" manipulation doesn't give me good results.

Given that Adler seems to be a theist, I'm also not sure whether he thinks that way.

Comment author: _rpd 08 February 2016 03:38:53PM 1 point [-]

He was the inferiority complex guy ...

"The striving for significance, this sense of yearning, always points out to us that all psychological phenomena contain a movement that starts from a feeling of inferiority and reach upward. The theory of Individual Psychology of psychological compensation states that the stronger the feeling of inferiority, the higher the goal for personal power." (From a new translation of "Progress in Individual Psychology," [1923] a journal article by Alfred Adler, in the AAISF/ATP Archives.

... everything is about the struggle to gain power over others, which can become pathological ...

"The soul under pressure of the feeling of inferiority, of the torturing thought that the individual is small and helpless, attempts with all its might to become master over this inferiority complex. Where the feeling of inferiority is highly intensified to the degree that the child believes that he will never be able to compensate for his weakness, the danger arises that in his striving for overcompensation, will aim to overbalance the scales. The striving for power and dominance may become exaggerated and intensified until it must be called pathological. The ordinary relationships of life will never satisfy such children. Well adapted to their goal, their movements will have to have a certain grandiose gesture about them. They seek to secure their position in life with extraordinary efforts, with greater haste and impatience, with more intense impulses, without consideration of any one else. Through these exaggerated movements toward their exaggerated goal of dominance these children become more noticeable, their attacks on the lives of others necessitate that they defend their own lives. They are against the world, and the world is against them." (From "The Feeling of Inferiority and the Striving for Recognition," [1927] a journal article by Alfred Adler, in the AAISF/ATP Archives.

Comment author: ChristianKl 08 February 2016 01:28:38PM 1 point [-]

"All human interaction is manipulation

Does anybody knows who came up with that sentiment? I'm searching some good quotes that express the idea. Maybe there's a book or article that steelman's it?

Comment author: _rpd 08 February 2016 03:02:50PM 0 points [-]
Comment author: WalterL 07 February 2016 09:53:58PM 1 point [-]

I think paraphrasings of "do what makes you happy" are fair as rationality quotes. What else are you gonna do?

Comment author: _rpd 07 February 2016 11:02:49PM 0 points [-]

I feel like there should be some constraint on harming group happiness while you "do what makes you happy."

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