In another comment I coined (although not for the first time, it turns out) the expression “Friendly Human Intelligence”. Which is simply geekspeak for how to bring up your kids right and not make druggie losers, wholesale killers, or other sorts of paperclipper. I don’t recall seeing this discussed on LessWrong. Maybe most of us don’t have children, and Eliezer has said somewhere that he doesn’t consider himself ready to create new people, but as the saying is, if not now, when, and if not this, what?
I don’t have children and don’t intend to. I have two nephews and a niece, but have not had much to do with their lives, beyond sending them improving books for birthdays and Christmas. I wonder if LessWrongers, with or without children, have anything to say on how to raise children to be rational non-paperclippers?
I think that question is a conversation stopper because those who do not have children who not feel qualify and those that do have children know what a complex and tricky question it is. Personally I don’t think there is a method that fits all children and all relationships with them. But… You might try activities rather than presents. ‘Oh cool, uncle is gone to make a video with us and we’re going to do it at the zoo.’ If you get the right activity (depends on child), they will remember it and what you did and said for years. I had a uncle that I only saw a few times but he showed me how to make and throw a bomerang. He explained why it returned. I have thanked him for that day for 60 years.
I think that question is a conversation stopper because those who do not have children who not feel qualify and those that do have children know what a complex and tricky question it is.
I don’t have children and I didn’t try answering the question because I knew what a complex and tricky question it is—I don’t expect it to be much different than the bigger question of how to improve human rationality for people in general.
In another comment I coined (although not for the first time, it turns out) the expression “Friendly Human Intelligence”. Which is simply geekspeak for how to bring up your kids right and not make druggie losers, wholesale killers, or other sorts of paperclipper. I don’t recall seeing this discussed on LessWrong. Maybe most of us don’t have children, and Eliezer has said somewhere that he doesn’t consider himself ready to create new people, but as the saying is, if not now, when, and if not this, what?
I don’t have children and don’t intend to. I have two nephews and a niece, but have not had much to do with their lives, beyond sending them improving books for birthdays and Christmas. I wonder if LessWrongers, with or without children, have anything to say on how to raise children to be rational non-paperclippers?
I think that question is a conversation stopper because those who do not have children who not feel qualify and those that do have children know what a complex and tricky question it is. Personally I don’t think there is a method that fits all children and all relationships with them. But… You might try activities rather than presents. ‘Oh cool, uncle is gone to make a video with us and we’re going to do it at the zoo.’ If you get the right activity (depends on child), they will remember it and what you did and said for years. I had a uncle that I only saw a few times but he showed me how to make and throw a bomerang. He explained why it returned. I have thanked him for that day for 60 years.
I don’t have children and I didn’t try answering the question because I knew what a complex and tricky question it is—I don’t expect it to be much different than the bigger question of how to improve human rationality for people in general.
Possibly relevant, from the archives:
“On the Care and Feeding of Young Rationalists”
“On Juvenile Fiction”