… we tend to be caught up in thinking and the models about the world we create in our minds, actually science is about this. But those models have limitations and are often wrong as the history of science shows time and again.
Now that you have noticed this, what are you going to do with it?
Is this a serious question? While the modern world might have changed in a lot of aspects a big factor remains constant: people, social interactions. What use is it to choose the logically correct decision if it still makes us feel miserable?
There are situations where your feelings are more reliable than your models. Are there situations where it is the other way around? How do you decide which to use?
I don’t intended the original quote to be an admonition against all use of models/reasoning. My point was more or less along the lines of “listen to your feelings, they might be telling you something important. Don’t disregard them just because you have some neat model, your model could be wrong.”
This boils down to: when do you know that your models are correct? And the answer is, you almost never know, unless it is already settled by science and even then there is room for error and further correction down the road(years away). But you need to make decisions now, every day.
Almost. It boils down to: when do you know that your models are correct and when do you know your feelings are correct. Well, how do you settle that question?
You don’t have to treat your feelings and your models differently. Just use whichever one the evidence suggests is more likely to be correct in whichever situation you find you find yourself in. See?
Unfortunately, I can’t help you with that, as you have your own models and feelings. You’ll have to collect data on your own about which works better in what situation. You can probably start by going over past experiences to see if there are any apparent trends, and then just be mindful of any opportunity you might have to confirm or disconfirm any hypothesis you might generate. Watch out for unfalsifiables!
Empiricism and logic? Just treat your emotions like a model, and judge them like you would any other. Even though you can’t see the inside of your emotions, neither can you see the inside of the thought processes that produce the model. I don’t see why there would be any difference between the two.
Now that you have noticed this, what are you going to do with it?
Realize that your mental models might be wrong and don’t put too much weight on them, instead put more weight on your feelings.
Trying to make better models does not appeal to you?
Do you have good evidence that your feelings are more often correct than your models?
Feelings honed by millions of years of evolution.
To what extent can you expect evolution to have prepared you for your day-to-day experience?
Is this a serious question? While the modern world might have changed in a lot of aspects a big factor remains constant: people, social interactions. What use is it to choose the logically correct decision if it still makes us feel miserable?
What use is it to feel miserable despite having made a correct decision?
It might be hard to change our feelings. Should a correct decision make us feel miserable? Maybe there is a better decision that also makes us feel good? Also relevant see my answer here: http://lesswrong.com/lw/ece/rationality_quotes_september_2012/7qmo
There are situations where your feelings are more reliable than your models. Are there situations where it is the other way around? How do you decide which to use?
I don’t intended the original quote to be an admonition against all use of models/reasoning. My point was more or less along the lines of “listen to your feelings, they might be telling you something important. Don’t disregard them just because you have some neat model, your model could be wrong.”
I agree, but that does not answer the question. How do you decide which to use? What do you need in order to decide?
This boils down to: when do you know that your models are correct? And the answer is, you almost never know, unless it is already settled by science and even then there is room for error and further correction down the road(years away). But you need to make decisions now, every day.
Almost. It boils down to: when do you know that your models are correct and when do you know your feelings are correct. Well, how do you settle that question?
I don’t know, but I have the impression that you have an answer in mind, care to share?
chaosmosis said it already :)
You don’t have to treat your feelings and your models differently. Just use whichever one the evidence suggests is more likely to be correct in whichever situation you find you find yourself in. See?
Sounds good, but you still have to decide which one is more likely to be correct, so it doesn’t seem to solve the fundamental question at hand.
Unfortunately, I can’t help you with that, as you have your own models and feelings. You’ll have to collect data on your own about which works better in what situation. You can probably start by going over past experiences to see if there are any apparent trends, and then just be mindful of any opportunity you might have to confirm or disconfirm any hypothesis you might generate. Watch out for unfalsifiables!
Empiricism and logic? Just treat your emotions like a model, and judge them like you would any other. Even though you can’t see the inside of your emotions, neither can you see the inside of the thought processes that produce the model. I don’t see why there would be any difference between the two.
yes