To address your postscript: “Dark Arts” was not supposed to mean “bad” or “irrational”, it was supposed to mean “counter-intuitive, surface-level irrational, perhaps costly, but worth the price”.
Strategically manipulating terminal goals and intentionally cultivating false beliefs (with cognitive dissonance as the price) seem to fall pretty squarely in this category. I’m honestly not sure what else people were expecting. Perhaps you could give me an idea of things that squarely qualify as “dark arts” under your definition?
(At a guess, I suppose heavily leveraging taboo tradeoffs and consequentialism may seem “darker” to the layman.)
How about extending the metaphor and calling these techniques “Rituals” (they require a sacrifice, and even though it’s not as “permanent” as in HPMOR, it’s usually dangerous), reserving “Dark” for the arguably-immoral stuff?
“Dark Arts” was not supposed to mean “bad” or “irrational”, it was supposed to mean “counter-intuitive, surface-level irrational, perhaps costly, but worth the price”.
In my understanding “Dark Arts” mean, basically, using deceit. In the social context that implies manipulating others for your own purposes. I don’t think “Dark Arts” is a useful term in the context of self-motivation.
Huh. Personally, I feel that the need for comments such as this one strongly indicate “Dark” subject matter. It’s interesting to get a different perspective. Thanks!
I’m honestly not sure what else people were expecting. Perhaps you could give me an idea of things that squarely qualify as “dark arts” under your definition?
Techniques that have negative side effects for other people. Economics models that recommend that people should defect more because it’s in their self interest are “dark”.
To address your postscript: “Dark Arts” was not supposed to mean “bad” or “irrational”, it was supposed to mean “counter-intuitive, surface-level irrational, perhaps costly, but worth the price”.
Strategically manipulating terminal goals and intentionally cultivating false beliefs (with cognitive dissonance as the price) seem to fall pretty squarely in this category. I’m honestly not sure what else people were expecting. Perhaps you could give me an idea of things that squarely qualify as “dark arts” under your definition?
(At a guess, I suppose heavily leveraging taboo tradeoffs and consequentialism may seem “darker” to the layman.)
How about extending the metaphor and calling these techniques “Rituals” (they require a sacrifice, and even though it’s not as “permanent” as in HPMOR, it’s usually dangerous), reserving “Dark” for the arguably-immoral stuff?
In my understanding “Dark Arts” mean, basically, using deceit. In the social context that implies manipulating others for your own purposes. I don’t think “Dark Arts” is a useful term in the context of self-motivation.
Huh. Personally, I feel that the need for comments such as this one strongly indicate “Dark” subject matter. It’s interesting to get a different perspective. Thanks!
Techniques that have negative side effects for other people. Economics models that recommend that people should defect more because it’s in their self interest are “dark”.