...rationality does have one advantage that’s been overlooked a lot lately: it results in true beliefs. Some people, myself included, value this for its own sake, and it is a real benefit.
Not really. I have been saying the same as you, that a true belief is valueable in and of itself, even if you don’t like the consequences. But I don’t believe that to be true anymore. As Roko once wrote, “I wish I would have never learnt about existential risks”.
I also used to feel very optimistic and excited about ‘true beliefs’, believing having more of them would represent such incredible progress, but now I only have the memory of valuing them, and continue to pursue them a little out of discipline and habit. Scientific belief is an exception, but regarding anything that I would call ‘philosophical’ (for lack of a better word), pursuing true belief seems empty after all.
My reasons for this is that I thought ‘true belief’ (how I define it, as a collection of metaphysical/philosophical ideas) would reflect some kind of reality (for example, a framework of objective value) but since such ideas aren’t entangled with reality, they don’t matter.
By the way, I consider 3^^^^3 years from now to be not entangled with reality. Having just read through your link and the helpful comments people made throughout, could you comment on which advice was most immediately helpful, or having you found any temporary or ameliorating patches since then?
Having just read through your link and the helpful comments people made throughout, could you comment on which advice was most immediately helpful, or having you found any temporary or ameliorating patches since then?
I would have to read the replies again to give a definite answer, but mostly I now reason along the lines of this comment.
Not really. I have been saying the same as you, that a true belief is valueable in and of itself, even if you don’t like the consequences. But I don’t believe that to be true anymore. As Roko once wrote, “I wish I would have never learnt about existential risks”.
I also used to feel very optimistic and excited about ‘true beliefs’, believing having more of them would represent such incredible progress, but now I only have the memory of valuing them, and continue to pursue them a little out of discipline and habit. Scientific belief is an exception, but regarding anything that I would call ‘philosophical’ (for lack of a better word), pursuing true belief seems empty after all.
My reasons for this is that I thought ‘true belief’ (how I define it, as a collection of metaphysical/philosophical ideas) would reflect some kind of reality (for example, a framework of objective value) but since such ideas aren’t entangled with reality, they don’t matter.
By the way, I consider 3^^^^3 years from now to be not entangled with reality. Having just read through your link and the helpful comments people made throughout, could you comment on which advice was most immediately helpful, or having you found any temporary or ameliorating patches since then?
I would have to read the replies again to give a definite answer, but mostly I now reason along the lines of this comment.