I do not think avoid other-optimizing is one of Eliezer’s more helpful memes. In many ways it is a pernicious meme, as it causes people to flinch away from useful other-optimizing.
I am particularly talented at other-optimizing. I expect to win the Quantified Health Prize. I am close to convincing Eliezer to try my current ridiculous diet, which is “eat whatever you want as long as it is from this limited subset of foods and you are getting at least 50% of calories from healthy mostly saturated fat”.
Very few people here have actually disagreed with the substance of my post, which is that ergonomics is very strikingly worth spending money on. It is almost entirely bike-shedding. I don’t believe that ergonomics will absolutely improve the lives of everyone, but that it makes a difference in the lives of people in the aggregate, some of whom actually won’t be effected or won’t have enough bodily awareness to notice a difference.
I do not think avoid other-optimizing is one of Eliezer’s more helpful memes. In many ways it is a pernicious meme, as it causes people to flinch away from useful other-optimizing.
It was pretty clearly in the class of “look, stop annoying me” posts, rather than a categorical imperative. Unfortunately, it’s in the sequences, so has attracted a “how shall we fuck off, oh Lord?” response.
I do not think avoid other-optimizing is one of Eliezer’s more helpful memes. In many ways it is a pernicious meme, as it causes people to flinch away from useful other-optimizing.
I support Eliezer’s warning about other-optimizing but certainly wouldn’t say it is a warning that applies to your post here on ergonomics.
This is getting attention from being linked at the other thread, so I’ll reply now since I’m awake. I’m not Kevin, but I talked about it with him at a nutrition seminar recently.
I do not think avoid other-optimizing is one of Eliezer’s more helpful memes. In many ways it is a pernicious meme, as it causes people to flinch away from useful other-optimizing.
I am particularly talented at other-optimizing. I expect to win the Quantified Health Prize. I am close to convincing Eliezer to try my current ridiculous diet, which is “eat whatever you want as long as it is from this limited subset of foods and you are getting at least 50% of calories from healthy mostly saturated fat”.
Very few people here have actually disagreed with the substance of my post, which is that ergonomics is very strikingly worth spending money on. It is almost entirely bike-shedding. I don’t believe that ergonomics will absolutely improve the lives of everyone, but that it makes a difference in the lives of people in the aggregate, some of whom actually won’t be effected or won’t have enough bodily awareness to notice a difference.
It was pretty clearly in the class of “look, stop annoying me” posts, rather than a categorical imperative. Unfortunately, it’s in the sequences, so has attracted a “how shall we fuck off, oh Lord?” response.
I support Eliezer’s warning about other-optimizing but certainly wouldn’t say it is a warning that applies to your post here on ergonomics.
What’s the diet?
This is getting attention from being linked at the other thread, so I’ll reply now since I’m awake. I’m not Kevin, but I talked about it with him at a nutrition seminar recently.
If I’m not mistaken, Kevin’s diet is similar to the diet suggested by Will Ryan of Positive Vector (a rationality training company). You can get a brief PDF about it here. (You might know Will Ryan as Cosmos, the writer of Less Wrong NYC: Case Study of a Successful Rationalist Chapter.)
Yup, thanks.