This is exactly the point of asking “What Would Jesus Do?” Christians are asking themselves, what would a perfectly moral, all-knowing person do in this situation, and using the machinery their brains have for simulating a person to find out the answer, instead of using the general purpose reasoner that is so easily overworked.
Of course, simulating a person (especially a god) accurately can be kind of tricky.
Similar thoughts religious people use to get themselves to do things that they want to abstractly but are hard in the moment: What would I do if I were the kind of person I want to become? What would a perfectly moral, all-knowing person think about what I’m about to do?
Right. Unfortunately, they know they are not as good as Jesus, so this fails more often than not. However, simulating oneself with just one small difference, the way OP suggests, is probably much easier and so likely be more successful.
Actually, simulating a hypothetical wise, but not necessarily superhuman counselor, can be better than simulating myself. I have my confusions and my weaknesses, and it can be hard to generated a model of someone who exactly like myself but without them.
On the other hand, since my hypothetical personal hero is fictional (although maybe based on someone real or fictional that I admire), it is easier to generate a model of this wise, calm and collected adviser.
I think the real trick here is that any “simulated person” in your mind has cognitive “permission” to take the Outside View on you. So it will damn well tell you, “You’re stressed, you’re tired, you’re not thinking correctly” instead of just endorsing everything you think.
This is exactly the point of asking “What Would Jesus Do?” Christians are asking themselves, what would a perfectly moral, all-knowing person do in this situation, and using the machinery their brains have for simulating a person to find out the answer, instead of using the general purpose reasoner that is so easily overworked. Of course, simulating a person (especially a god) accurately can be kind of tricky. Similar thoughts religious people use to get themselves to do things that they want to abstractly but are hard in the moment: What would I do if I were the kind of person I want to become? What would a perfectly moral, all-knowing person think about what I’m about to do?
Right. Unfortunately, they know they are not as good as Jesus, so this fails more often than not. However, simulating oneself with just one small difference, the way OP suggests, is probably much easier and so likely be more successful.
Actually, simulating a hypothetical wise, but not necessarily superhuman counselor, can be better than simulating myself. I have my confusions and my weaknesses, and it can be hard to generated a model of someone who exactly like myself but without them.
On the other hand, since my hypothetical personal hero is fictional (although maybe based on someone real or fictional that I admire), it is easier to generate a model of this wise, calm and collected adviser.
I think the real trick here is that any “simulated person” in your mind has cognitive “permission” to take the Outside View on you. So it will damn well tell you, “You’re stressed, you’re tired, you’re not thinking correctly” instead of just endorsing everything you think.