KristenBurke — LessWrong

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Whether we have a specific story of the future or not, we shouldn't assume a good outcome. But perhaps you're saying that we should at least have a vision of a good outcome in mind to steer toward.

Yes.

I think of absolutes as a fallacy (whet in the realm of utility as opposed to truth) -- it means you're not admitting trade-offs.

I may just not know of any principled ways of forming a set of outcomes to begin with, so that it may be treated as a lottery and so forth.

But it would seem that aesthetics or axiology must still have some role in the formation, since precise and certain truths aren't known about the future and yet at least some structure seems subjectively required—if not objectively required—through the construction of a (firm but mutable) set of highest outcomes.

So far my best attempts have involved not much more than basic automata concepts for personal identity and future configurations.

Replying toValue Journaling

KristenBurke9y

Value Journaling

So at any level, you'd better get used to asking stupid questions.

It's probably just me but the Stack Exchange community seems to make this hard.

I think it would be nice if someone wrote a post on "visceral comparative advantage" giving tips on how to intuitively connect "the best thing I could be doing" with comparative advantage rather than absolute notions.

Yes, that would be nice. And personally speaking, it would be most dignifying if it could address (and maybe dissolve) those—probably less informed—intuitions about how there seems to be nothing wrong in principle with indulging all-or-nothing dispositions save for the contingent residual pain. Actually, just your first paragraph in your response seems to... (read more)

Replying toValue Journaling

KristenBurke9y

Value Journaling

I like how the book The Compound Effect makes you feel like anything is possible as long as you're consistent and get rid of bad habits.

Replying toValue Journaling

KristenBurke9y

Value Journaling

yul, I think my worry is more about whether my past is a strong indication of my human maximum potential, and not as much whether I'll repeat the same poor decisions.

Replying toValue Journaling

KristenBurke9y

Value Journaling

This does help, thank you. I'd come to similar judgments and maybe couldn't sustain them long because I didn't know of anyone else with them.

I think this also happens to help me ask my question better. What I'd also like to know:

What are the intended trajectories of people on the front-lines? Is it merging with super AIs to remain on the front-lines, or is it "gaming" in lower intelligence reservations structured by yet more social hierarchies and popularity contests? Is this a false dichotomy?

Neither is ultimately repugnant to me or anything. Nothing future pharmaceuticals couldn't probably fix. I just truly don't know what they think that they can expect. If I did,... (read more)

Replying toValue Journaling

KristenBurke9y

Value Journaling

This sounds like something I could maybe benefit from. But I still may need some prompting before this, which would lead to me doing this. I'm not yet sure. . . .

Due to a series of many poor decisions from my early teens to mid-twenties, I hadn't been able to muster up enough motivation, self-esteem, or whatever I needed to get back on the track I should've been on to begin with and get into a profession I could feel good about. But it could just be a too-low intelligence thing too.

This experience seems to have forever colored my ultimate outlook in a doloric way.

Maybe due to long periods of not feeling... (read more)