[stub] 100-Word Unpolished Insights Thread (3/10-???)

I had an idea to increase average people’s rationality with 4 qualities:

It doesn’t seem/feel “rationalist” or “nerdy.”

It can work without people understanding why it works

It can be taught without understanding its purpose

It can be perceived as about politeness

A high school class, where people try to pass Intellectual Turing Tests. It's not POLITE/sophisticated to assert opinions if you can't show that you understand the people that you're saying are wrong.

We already have a lot of error-detection abilities when our minds criticize others' ideas, we just need to access that power for our own ideas.

On the Value of Pretending

Actors don't break down the individual muscle movements that go into expression; musicians don't break down the physical properties of the notes or series of notes that produce expression.

They both simulate feeling to express it. They pretend to feel it. If we want to harness confidence, amiability, and energy, maybe there's some value in pretending and simulating (what would "nice person" do?).

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy teaches that our self-talk strongly affects us, counseling us not to say "Oh, I suck" kind of things. Positive self-talk "I can do this" may be worth practicing.

I'm not sure why, but this feels not irrational, but highly not-"rational" (against the culture associated with "rationality."). This also intrigues me...

The leader of North Korea apparently used a VX nerve agent to kill his half-brother in a Malaysian airport, thus loudly signaling that he is an unhinged sociopath with WMDs. I think a first strike attack on North Korea might be justified.

Humbly submit my last stub list that was received relatively poorly.

http://lesswrong.com/lw/nwi/a_collection_of_stubs/

Low-quality thought-vomiting, eh?

I'll try to keep it civil. I get the feeling the site is as far removed from the site's founding goals and members as a way to striate the site's current readership. Either pay into a training seminar through one of the institutions advertised above, or be left behind to bicker over minutia in an underinformed fashion. That said, nobody can doubt the usefulness in personal study, though it is slow and unguided.

I'm suspicious, of the current motives here, of the atmosphere this site provides. I guess it can't be helped since MIRI and CFAR are at the mercy of needing revenue just like any other institution. So where does one draw the line between helpful guidance and malevolent exploitation?

A charity is a business who sells feeling good about yourself and the admiration of others as its products.

To make a lucrative product, don't ask "what needs need filling," ask "what would help people signal more effectively."

Regarding instrumental rationality: I've been wondering for a while now if "world domination" (or "world optimization", as HJPEV prefers) is feasible. I haven't entirely figured out my values yet, but whatever they turn out to be, WD/WO sure would be handy for achieving them. But even if WD/WO is a ridiculously far-fetched dream, it would still be a very good idea to know one's approximate chances of success with various possible paths to achieving one's values. I have therefore come up with the "feasibility problem." Basically, a solution to the problem consists of an estimation of how much one can actually hope to influence the world, and to what extent one can actually fulfill one's values. I think it would be very wise to solve the feasibility problem before attempting to take over the world, or become the President, or lead a social revolution, or improve the rationality of the general populace, etc.

Solving the FP would seem to require a deep understanding of how the world operates (anthropomorphically speaking, if you get my drift; I'm talking about the hoomun world, not physics and chemistry).

I've even constructed a GPOATCBUBAAAA (general plan of action that can be used by any and all agents): first, define your utility function, and also learn how the world works (easier said than done). Once you've completed that, you can apply your knowledge to solve the FP, and then you can construct a plan to fulfill your utility function, and then put it into action.

This is probably a bit longer than 100 words, but I'm posting it here and not in the open thread because I have no idea if it's of any value whatsoever.

While this idea may not be of interest to everybody, it has already been vetted by the Open Thread

So, basically a brainstorming thread?

FAI value alignment research, and cryonics are mutually inconsistent stances. Cryo resurrection will almost definitely happen by scanning & whole-brain-emulation. An EM/upload with a subjective timeline sped up to 1000x will be indistinguishable from an UFAI. Incremental value alignment results of today will be applied to your EM tomorrow.

For example, how would you feel with all your brilliant intellect, with all your inner motivational spark being looped into a rat race against 10000 copies of yours, performing work for & grounded to a baseline, where if you don't win against your own selves, all your current thoughts, and feeling, and emotions are to be permanently destroyed?

The not-"rational" (read "not central to the rationalist concept cluster in the mind/not part of the culture of rationalists"), but rational things we need to do.

The value of pretending, self-talk, I mention in another comment. The value of being nice is another not strongly associated with "rationalism," but which is, I think, rational to recognize.

There are others. Certain kinds of communication. Why can't any "rationalists" talk? The best ones are so wrapped up in things that betray their nerd-culture association that they are only appealing to other nerds; you can practically identify people who aren't "rationalists" by checking if they sound nerdy or not. There's probably a place for sounding a lot more like Steve Harvey or a pastor or politician if there's any place for effectively communicating with people who aren't nerds.

There are other anti-rationalist-culture things we should probably look for and develop