I like that attitude. It is also not irrational because you are aware of it and deliberately choose to be that way. I believe that Less Wrong features a way too much ought. I don’t disagree with the consensus on Cryonics at all, yet I’m not getting a contract because I’m too lazy and I like to be lazy. My usual credo is, I can’t lose as long as I don’t leave my way. That doesn’t mean I am stubborn. I allow myself to alter my way situational.
Rationality is about winning and what constitutes winning is purely subjective. If you don’t care if the universe is tiled with paperclips rather than being filled with apes having sex under the stars, that is completely rational as long as you are aware what exactly you care or don’t care about.
Do you think that your beliefs regarding what you care about could be mistaken? That you might tell yourself that you care more about being lazy than about getting cryonics done, but that in fact, under reflection, you would prefer to get the contract?
...in fact, under reflection, you would prefer to get the contract?
I can’t solve that problem right now. It implies that part of my volition is not, in fact, part of what I want or should not be part of my goals. Why would I only listen to the part of my inner self favoring long-term decisions? I could take the car to drive to that Christmas party to visit my family and friends, or I could stay home because of black ice. After all there will be many more Christmas parties without black ice in future, and even more in the far future where there will be backups? But where does this thinking lead? I want both of course. On reflection, not dying is more important than party. But on further reflection I do not have enough data that would allow me to conclude that any long-term payoff could outweigh extensive restraint at present.
There are also some practical considerations about Cryonics. I am in Germany, I don’t know of any Cryonics companies here. I don’t know what is the likelihood of being frozen quickly enough in case of accident. When I know I’m going to die in advance then I can still get a contract then. So is the money really worth it, given that most pathways to death result in no expected benefits from a Cryonics contract?
I like that attitude. It is also not irrational because you are aware of it and deliberately choose to be that way. I believe that Less Wrong features a way too much ought. I don’t disagree with the consensus on Cryonics at all, yet I’m not getting a contract because I’m too lazy and I like to be lazy. My usual credo is, I can’t lose as long as I don’t leave my way. That doesn’t mean I am stubborn. I allow myself to alter my way situational.
Rationality is about winning and what constitutes winning is purely subjective. If you don’t care if the universe is tiled with paperclips rather than being filled with apes having sex under the stars, that is completely rational as long as you are aware what exactly you care or don’t care about.
Do you think that your beliefs regarding what you care about could be mistaken? That you might tell yourself that you care more about being lazy than about getting cryonics done, but that in fact, under reflection, you would prefer to get the contract?
I can’t solve that problem right now. It implies that part of my volition is not, in fact, part of what I want or should not be part of my goals. Why would I only listen to the part of my inner self favoring long-term decisions? I could take the car to drive to that Christmas party to visit my family and friends, or I could stay home because of black ice. After all there will be many more Christmas parties without black ice in future, and even more in the far future where there will be backups? But where does this thinking lead? I want both of course. On reflection, not dying is more important than party. But on further reflection I do not have enough data that would allow me to conclude that any long-term payoff could outweigh extensive restraint at present.
There are also some practical considerations about Cryonics. I am in Germany, I don’t know of any Cryonics companies here. I don’t know what is the likelihood of being frozen quickly enough in case of accident. When I know I’m going to die in advance then I can still get a contract then. So is the money really worth it, given that most pathways to death result in no expected benefits from a Cryonics contract?