All things considered, has this comment thread made LessWrong more or less valuable to you? (ETA: This is excluding Luke’s original post, and relative to what you would have expected the site to be like if the comment thread had not taken place, not relative to what it would be like if the comment thread disappeared now.)
Less. A bunch of bickering about ethics with almost no actual practical content describing the world. Basically it is embarrassing to be associated with.
I agree that this whole thread, while admittedly I have been following it myself, is a net negative for LW.
It’s my contention that (1) some people will be attracted to PUA tenets with a largely negative outlook regarding women, (2) some people will be attracted to PUA tenets with a largely positive outlook regarding women (3) some people will just organically figure it out without any significant use of literature and (4) people that enjoy reading/writing/debating about this will continue to do that and may or may not actually pursue relationships.
I don’t think lukeprog’s writing is going to substantially change anyone’s inclinations or abilities in this area because relationships and dating are something one learns by doing and becoming, not talking and thinking.
Less. A bunch of bickering about ethics with almost no actual practical content describing the world. Basically it is embarrassing to be associated with.
Rational romantic relationships is a topic inextricably linked to ethics, in a universe where it’s a fact of human nature that human happiness is immediately and radically affected by our love lives.
I do agree that it’s disappointing that the pro-PUA posters here have not presented any hard evidence that the PUA community has something to offer an evidence-based analysis of rational romantic relationships. That would have been interesting and valuable.
Less. A bunch of bickering about ethics with almost no actual practical content describing the world. Basically it is embarrassing to be associated with.
I agree that this whole thread, while admittedly I have been following it myself, is a net negative for LW.
It’s my contention that (1) some people will be attracted to PUA tenets with a largely negative outlook regarding women, (2) some people will be attracted to PUA tenets with a largely positive outlook regarding women (3) some people will just organically figure it out without any significant use of literature and (4) people that enjoy reading/writing/debating about this will continue to do that and may or may not actually pursue relationships.
I don’t think lukeprog’s writing is going to substantially change anyone’s inclinations or abilities in this area because relationships and dating are something one learns by doing and becoming, not talking and thinking.
Rational romantic relationships is a topic inextricably linked to ethics, in a universe where it’s a fact of human nature that human happiness is immediately and radically affected by our love lives.
I do agree that it’s disappointing that the pro-PUA posters here have not presented any hard evidence that the PUA community has something to offer an evidence-based analysis of rational romantic relationships. That would have been interesting and valuable.