It is interesting to put this in contrast with Objectivists. As far as I know, smoking was considered rational and high-status among them.
That might suggest that even in organizations that try to be rational, the instinct to copy high-status people is too strong, and members rationalize copying the personal quirks of the leaders as “doing the rational thing”. We need a rationality movement started by a heavy drinker who also happens to be a furry, and see what their followers will consider the most rational way of life.
But maybe this is just about generations and geography. For our generation, especially in Bay Area, smoking is uncool, experimenting with drugs is cool. Occam’s razor. (“Hey, not all drugs! Only the safe ones that my friends approve of, not the really harmful ones...” Exactly.)
I feel much stronger about tobacco as it likely caused my father’s death, and I never met my dad’s dad who smoked and died of lung cancer before I was born.
I don’t know of any rationalist who is addicted to food. It’s not like eating more would make you healthier or increase your mental capacity even temporarily, maybe if they follow certain strict diet but I doubt that’s the case for them.
(User banned for a year. Am choosing to leave content up for transparency about mod action in this thread in particular, though have deleted some of the account’s low-quality comments on other posts.)
I don’t know of any rationalists who smoke. On the other hand I do know of rationalists who drink while I personally never drank any alcohol.
If you feel strongly about the alcohol topic, it might be worth to write a top-level post for it to make the case to more people.
It is interesting to put this in contrast with Objectivists. As far as I know, smoking was considered rational and high-status among them.
That might suggest that even in organizations that try to be rational, the instinct to copy high-status people is too strong, and members rationalize copying the personal quirks of the leaders as “doing the rational thing”. We need a rationality movement started by a heavy drinker who also happens to be a furry, and see what their followers will consider the most rational way of life.
But maybe this is just about generations and geography. For our generation, especially in Bay Area, smoking is uncool, experimenting with drugs is cool. Occam’s razor. (“Hey, not all drugs! Only the safe ones that my friends approve of, not the really harmful ones...” Exactly.)
I feel much stronger about tobacco as it likely caused my father’s death, and I never met my dad’s dad who smoked and died of lung cancer before I was born.
I don’t know of any rationalist who is addicted to food. It’s not like eating more would make you healthier or increase your mental capacity even temporarily, maybe if they follow certain strict diet but I doubt that’s the case for them.
This must’ve hurt like a fucking bitch.
(User banned for a year. Am choosing to leave content up for transparency about mod action in this thread in particular, though have deleted some of the account’s low-quality comments on other posts.)