“Someday I want to be so powerful that I can defeat myself in a single blow.”—Silence, commenting on a character in Prism Ark that says they want to be stronger.
Wouldn’t a good summary of rationality be a little more comprehensible? I’m sure there is a deep insight that Nic sees behind the quote and from what you say it must be related to rationality but at face value, without context that most people, myself included, don’t have it makes no sense.
Wow, I had no idea that this quote would be so controversial. I will attempt to explain.
To begin, I think there is something that can be learned from the quote, but I wouldn’t call it a “deep insight.” Or, at least, I wouldn’t have before uninverted’s reply. Silence, a friend of mine, was making fun of the focus of many anime on literal, physical strength, often detached from anything to protect or, indeed, any real overall goal at all (I don’t remember if this is the case with Prism Ark or not). It’s thus a light warning against focusing too much on method over end results.
Also, if there were two of you, it’d be impossible for you[a] to be decisively stronger and more skilled than you[b].
Uninverted, I’m guessing, was thinking of akrasia and overcoming cognitive biases, which can be considered “part of self” and, at the same time, something to “defeat” as easily as possible. Hence, the quote can also be read as a summary of rationality.
“Someday I want to be so powerful that I can defeat myself in a single blow.”—Silence, commenting on a character in Prism Ark that says they want to be stronger.
I don’t understand. Anybody who lives near a cliff or owns a gun has that much power. Explain? What is the connection to rationality?
That’s the best summary of rationality I’ve ever seen.
Wouldn’t a good summary of rationality be a little more comprehensible? I’m sure there is a deep insight that Nic sees behind the quote and from what you say it must be related to rationality but at face value, without context that most people, myself included, don’t have it makes no sense.
Wow, I had no idea that this quote would be so controversial. I will attempt to explain.
To begin, I think there is something that can be learned from the quote, but I wouldn’t call it a “deep insight.” Or, at least, I wouldn’t have before uninverted’s reply. Silence, a friend of mine, was making fun of the focus of many anime on literal, physical strength, often detached from anything to protect or, indeed, any real overall goal at all (I don’t remember if this is the case with Prism Ark or not). It’s thus a light warning against focusing too much on method over end results.
Also, if there were two of you, it’d be impossible for you[a] to be decisively stronger and more skilled than you[b].
Uninverted, I’m guessing, was thinking of akrasia and overcoming cognitive biases, which can be considered “part of self” and, at the same time, something to “defeat” as easily as possible. Hence, the quote can also be read as a summary of rationality.
Yes, that’s what I thought exactly.
With a big enough hammer, that goal is within the reach of anybody strong enough to swing it at their own head.