Part of this is about how we draw a balloon around what ‘you’ are. If you are a talking ape, then that ape might be lying to itself. If you are a rationalist trapped in part of the brain of a talking ape, then you are just tricking another part of it’s brain, which is entirely rational.
A bounded entrepreneur will keep searching until all likely problems have likely solutions, and he has at least one likely successful plan.It don’t know if this would be a cause or an effect of optimism. (and by optimism I mean feeling like things will be ok, independent of your probability estimates of what will happen.)
If I had to guess, I’d say you might find solutions in your attempt to rationalize why you’re not worried about something that you would not find in an ‘unbiased’ search.
A pessimist might see problems coming that an optimist wouldn’t see, but maybe that’s just not enough of a disadvantage in todays economy.
It would be even better if there are links that strengthen the claim that it’s true (iff it’s true). It’s certainly entertaining, but I disbelieve it. For this to hold any water, the people in question should’ve been really drunk. There also should be a reason for all those magical land people to be consistently good actors.
I dunno—there was a programme on the Italian TV a few years ago where people were subjected to pranks, and some of them were made to believe stuff just as absurd. You might be overestimating the strength of non-rationalists.
It is a really cool story, but I too disbelieve it although I’ll admit it’s possible—it needs more details.
Any LARP I’ve been to, I’d think the padded-stick swords and calls of “2 [damage]” and the ‘monsters’ consisting of people in masks would be a giveaway that something’s up, even if there was a big stigma against breaking character and the RPers all thought the wedding guests were in on it.
Also if I didn’t know about LARPs and somehow became convinced I was in a magical land I’d want to see some magic, and since mages were a PC class there would be some around. I’d become suspicious when they threw beanbags or declared they’d made a force wall that I could walk right through. Maybe the guests had other priorities, though...
You’ve probably only been to American LARPs. European ones, particularly in Scandinavia, are much more serious about things, and use minimize the unbelievable aspects. So the people playing skilled warriors are actually skilled warriors, the armor is more or less real armor, and the weapons are real (though unsharpened) weapons.
Even in the US, long-runner LARPs (generally run in periodic several-day sessions, with a consistent cast of characters who persist from session to session) tend to be along those lines as well.
Part of this is about how we draw a balloon around what ‘you’ are. If you are a talking ape, then that ape might be lying to itself. If you are a rationalist trapped in part of the brain of a talking ape, then you are just tricking another part of it’s brain, which is entirely rational.
I absolutely love that idea. But I think a clearer way of explaining it is that we are talking apes who have picked up this blunt, rotting bone of rationality and are using it as any other tool to pursue the same old talking ape desires. While the means are rational, the ends aren’t even close. Anyway, great point and lovely imagery!
Part of this is about how we draw a balloon around what ‘you’ are. If you are a talking ape, then that ape might be lying to itself. If you are a rationalist trapped in part of the brain of a talking ape, then you are just tricking another part of it’s brain, which is entirely rational.
A bounded entrepreneur will keep searching until all likely problems have likely solutions, and he has at least one likely successful plan.It don’t know if this would be a cause or an effect of optimism. (and by optimism I mean feeling like things will be ok, independent of your probability estimates of what will happen.) If I had to guess, I’d say you might find solutions in your attempt to rationalize why you’re not worried about something that you would not find in an ‘unbiased’ search.
A pessimist might see problems coming that an optimist wouldn’t see, but maybe that’s just not enough of a disadvantage in todays economy.
Not really on topic, but very interesting story: Normal people are convinced by role players that they are in a magical universe. http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=91462&cid=7876768
That is an excellent story, and I don’t think it would be at all out of place in a top-level post.
It would be even better if there are links that strengthen the claim that it’s true (iff it’s true). It’s certainly entertaining, but I disbelieve it. For this to hold any water, the people in question should’ve been really drunk. There also should be a reason for all those magical land people to be consistently good actors.
I dunno—there was a programme on the Italian TV a few years ago where people were subjected to pranks, and some of them were made to believe stuff just as absurd. You might be overestimating the strength of non-rationalists.
Did a post ever get made of this?
It is a really cool story, but I too disbelieve it although I’ll admit it’s possible—it needs more details. Any LARP I’ve been to, I’d think the padded-stick swords and calls of “2 [damage]” and the ‘monsters’ consisting of people in masks would be a giveaway that something’s up, even if there was a big stigma against breaking character and the RPers all thought the wedding guests were in on it.
Also if I didn’t know about LARPs and somehow became convinced I was in a magical land I’d want to see some magic, and since mages were a PC class there would be some around. I’d become suspicious when they threw beanbags or declared they’d made a force wall that I could walk right through. Maybe the guests had other priorities, though...
You’ve probably only been to American LARPs. European ones, particularly in Scandinavia, are much more serious about things, and use minimize the unbelievable aspects. So the people playing skilled warriors are actually skilled warriors, the armor is more or less real armor, and the weapons are real (though unsharpened) weapons.
Even in the US, long-runner LARPs (generally run in periodic several-day sessions, with a consistent cast of characters who persist from session to session) tend to be along those lines as well.
I second the motion. This is the most awesome illustration of conformity that I have ever, ever heard of.
seconded
I absolutely love that idea. But I think a clearer way of explaining it is that we are talking apes who have picked up this blunt, rotting bone of rationality and are using it as any other tool to pursue the same old talking ape desires. While the means are rational, the ends aren’t even close. Anyway, great point and lovely imagery!