Do you really believe that you engage in Truth-Seeking for utilitarian reasons? I get the impression that you don’t really believe that.
Would you be willing to to enter a computer simulation where you got to investigate higher math puzzles (or metaphysics) with no applications? Spend your days in a fantastic and never-ending Truth-Seeking project (we’ll throw great sex, food and housing into the holodeck for you as well)?
I liked this better at the beginning when you were prodding people who say that they see rationalism as a means to an end! You seem to be going back to consequentialism!
I don’t believe that rationalists WIN because I don’t believe that winning WINS
Would you be willing to to enter a computer simulation where you got to investigate higher math puzzles (or metaphysics) with no applications? Spend your days in a fantastic and never-ending Truth-Seeking project (we’ll throw great sex, food and housing into the holodeck for you as well)?
Maybe a few videogames (or other forms of entertainment in addition to sex) and this sounds like a very sweet deal.
That’s possible and probably partially accurate; if there were more posts taking the form “I believe X because...” on Less Wrong, I might be more open to the idea that people are doing that.
Ciphergoth:
Also, this would be a terrible community to signal truth-seeking in, considering how entrenched the “rationality as win” metaphor is. As I mentioned in the hair example, I think a lot more people here are signaling a burning interest in real-world application than really have one.
I just wanted to get Yvain’s opinion about how much value from posting on Less Wrong was coming from signaling. Yvain suggested that this was not his or her main goal and that LW would be a uniquely poor place to attempt it. I personally doubt both of those points, but I was hoping to get some clarification since the comments about signaling and the nature of truth-seeking don’t seem to be part of a system of beliefs.
Are you worried that signaling truth-seeking is legitimate enough?
Yvain:
Do you really believe that you engage in Truth-Seeking for utilitarian reasons? I get the impression that you don’t really believe that.
Would you be willing to to enter a computer simulation where you got to investigate higher math puzzles (or metaphysics) with no applications? Spend your days in a fantastic and never-ending Truth-Seeking project (we’ll throw great sex, food and housing into the holodeck for you as well)?
I liked this better at the beginning when you were prodding people who say that they see rationalism as a means to an end! You seem to be going back to consequentialism!
I don’t believe that rationalists WIN because I don’t believe that winning WINS
Maybe a few videogames (or other forms of entertainment in addition to sex) and this sounds like a very sweet deal.
And you must enjoy the signal value you a little bit! You aren’t keeping your Less Wrong postings in your diary under lock and key!
logi:
That’s possible and probably partially accurate; if there were more posts taking the form “I believe X because...” on Less Wrong, I might be more open to the idea that people are doing that.
Ciphergoth:
I just wanted to get Yvain’s opinion about how much value from posting on Less Wrong was coming from signaling. Yvain suggested that this was not his or her main goal and that LW would be a uniquely poor place to attempt it. I personally doubt both of those points, but I was hoping to get some clarification since the comments about signaling and the nature of truth-seeking don’t seem to be part of a system of beliefs.
Are you worried that signaling truth-seeking is legitimate enough?
Sure, but it’s pretty clear that a lot of people are enjoying the WIN! signal too. Let’s try not to get too caught up in who is signalling what.
Even if he did not value the signal, surely you can conjecture a rational strategy of publishing beliefs in order to refine them.