I remember well enough to describe, but apparently not well enough to Google, a post or possibly a comment that said something to the effect that one should convince one’s opponents with the same reasoning that one was in fact convinced by (rather than by other convenient arguments, however cogent). Can anyone help me find it?
I was reminded of The Bottom Line, for what that’s worth, although I see both “A Rational Argument” and “Back Up and Ask Whether, Not Why” link back to it.
Oh, the writing advice looks very much like what I remember—but I’m almost positive I haven’t come across the particular document before! Perhaps some of the same prose was reused elsewhere?
Eliezer has been known to recycle text from old documents on occasion. (I’m thinking of certain OB posts having to do with a Toyota Corolla and Deep Blue vs. Kasparov, which contain material lifted from here and here respectively.)
I remember well enough to describe, but apparently not well enough to Google, a post or possibly a comment that said something to the effect that one should convince one’s opponents with the same reasoning that one was in fact convinced by (rather than by other convenient arguments, however cogent). Can anyone help me find it?
You’re probably thinking of “A Rational Argument” or “Back Up and Ask Whether, Not Why”.
Neither of those look quite like it...
I was reminded of The Bottom Line, for what that’s worth, although I see both “A Rational Argument” and “Back Up and Ask Whether, Not Why” link back to it.
This looked like it might be it for a while, but I have the memory of the statement being made pretty directly, not just stabbed at sideways.
The last paragraph of “Back Up” seems fairly explicit.
… “Singularity Writing Advice” points six and seven?
Oh, the writing advice looks very much like what I remember—but I’m almost positive I haven’t come across the particular document before! Perhaps some of the same prose was reused elsewhere?
Eliezer has been known to recycle text from old documents on occasion. (I’m thinking of certain OB posts having to do with a Toyota Corolla and Deep Blue vs. Kasparov, which contain material lifted from here and here respectively.)