Taken, in full
Eneasz
Karma: 3,096
Roles are Martial Arts for Agency
First(?) Rationalist elected to state government
The Real Fanfic Is The Friends We Made Along The Way
Son of Shit Rationalists Say
Hugo Awards—HP:MoR
Shit Rationalists Say?
Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality Podcast
informing SIAI that you will fund them if and only if they require their staff to exhibit a high degree of vigilance about the possibility of poisoning the existential risk meme by making claims that people find uncredible
I believe you are completely ignoring the status-demolishing effects of hypocrisy and insincerity.
When I first started watching Blogging Heads discussions featuring Eliezer I would often have moments where I held my breath thinking “Oh god, he can’t address that directly without sounding nuts, here comes the abhorrent back-peddling and waffling”. Instead he met it head on with complete honesty and did so in a way I’ve never seen other people able to pull off—without sounding nuts at all. In fact, sounding very reasonable. I’ve since updated enough that I no longer wince and hold my breath, I smile and await the triumph.
If, as most people (and nearly all politicians) do, he would have waffled and presented an argument that he doesn’t honestly hold, but that is more publicly acceptable, I’d feel disappointed and a bit sickened and I’d tune out the rest of what he has to say.
Hypocrisy is transparent. People (including neurotypical people) very easily see when others are making claims they don’t personally believe, and they universally despise such actions. Politicians and lawyers are among the most hated groups in modern societies, in large part because of this hypocrisy. They are only tolerated because they are seen as a necessary evil.
Right now, People Working To Reduce Existential Risk are not seen as necessary. So it’s highly unlikely that hypocrisy among them would be tolerated. They would repel anyone currently inclined to help, and their hypocrisy wouldn’t draw in any new support. The answer isn’t to try to deceive others about your true beliefs, it is to help make those beliefs more credible among the incredulous.
I feel that anyone advocating for public hypocrisy among the SIAI staff is working to disintegrate the organization (even if unintentionally).
Am I losing my mind, or was there a change made to Chap 16? I recall this section:
″ No, there is exactly one monster which can threaten you once you are fully grown. The single most dangerous monster in all the world, so dangerous that nothing else comes close. The adult wizard. That is the only thing that will still be able to threaten you.”
However now it reads:
″ No, there is exactly one monster which can threaten you once you are fully grown. The single most dangerous monster in all the world, so dangerous that nothing else comes close. The Dark Wizard. That is the only thing that will still be able to threaten you.”
If it was changed… why the change? The original was better, and (perhaps more to the point) more in keeping with Quirrell’s character. He wouldn’t distinguish between adult and Dark wizards when it comes to threat-to-his-students assessment.
In the grim darkness of the far future there is only war continued by other means
Hugo Awards—HP:MoR (part 2)
Hitchens is a well known author, journalist and militant atheist.
I don’t think “militant” is the right word here. Militant christians shoot abortion doctors. Militant muslims employ suicide bombers. Militant leftists take hostages and hide in jungles, and militant authoritarians form lynch mobs.
Militant atheists, by comparison, write books and engage in debates & mockery (if Hitchens is any example).
Using this term to refer to unapologetic atheists is a tactic used by fundies who want to make the public fear and hate atheists as much as they fear and hate extremists who actually use deadly violence. I don’t think we’re well-served in adopting it.
Gerald Grice. He was the first person Rorschach killed, and triggered his change. He killed Blair Roche, 6 year old girl, and fed her to his dogs. Both are named dropped by Moody as he discusses the Killing Curse.
Talking With People Who Speak to Congressional Staffers about AI risk
I’m seconding the request for next year to include a Monogamish option. I’m in a basically monogamous relationship, but we both sometimes sleep with friends.
(also I took the survey)
A reason to see the future
Penn Jillette comments at length and with great anger that Obama nonchalantly talked about drug use in college and yet continues to enforce federal drug laws. Penn rants that Obama wouldn’t be nearly so nonchalant about it if he was treated like those of the lower classes who would have served jail time for the same actions and been left with a permanent record that would make them nearly unemployable and certainly never able to go into politics.
I’ve written a short fiction piece that has been accepted for publication. My first ever professional publication will appear in February’s issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction magazine.
$200, and finally signed up for monthly donations as well.