The point is that you don’t ignore countless people saying the same thing just because you can think of a reason to dismiss them. Even if you are right and that’s all it is, you’ll still have sinned for not considering it.
Doesn’t the very fact that I have a reason imply that I must have considered it?
And at any rate, how is “They got their ideas about rationality from popular fiction” a failure to consider? Things are not always said by countless people because they have merit. And in this case, there’s a very well known, fairly obvious, reason why countless people would say such a thing. You may as well ask why countless people think that crashed cars explode.
My point was that you’re not supposed to stop thinking after finding a plausible explanation, and most certainly not after having found the singularly most convenient possible explanation. “Worst of all possible worlds” and all that.
If you feel this doesn’t apply to you, then please do not feel as though I’m addressing you specifically. It’s supposed to be advice for Less Wrong as a whole.
Doesn’t the very fact that I have a reason imply that I must have considered it?
And at any rate, how is “They got their ideas about rationality from popular fiction” a failure to consider? Things are not always said by countless people because they have merit. And in this case, there’s a very well known, fairly obvious, reason why countless people would say such a thing. You may as well ask why countless people think that crashed cars explode.
My point was that you’re not supposed to stop thinking after finding a plausible explanation, and most certainly not after having found the singularly most convenient possible explanation. “Worst of all possible worlds” and all that.
If you feel this doesn’t apply to you, then please do not feel as though I’m addressing you specifically. It’s supposed to be advice for Less Wrong as a whole.