There are a variety of social interactions from which one can derive value outside the context of a simple economic transaction. Discussing intellectual topics, like on LW or in an academic environment is one example; professional networking to gain connections for career advancement is another. Excluding people for reasons unrelated to these goals, such as susceptibility to social pressure, is suboptimal because potential gains scale with the number of people you interact with.
Who you choose to socially interact with is otherwise pretty much arbitrary. Personally, I generally like your attitude and think the world could use more people who share it—but I don’t feel justified to demand that they do.
“Excluding people for reasons unrelated to these goals, such as susceptibility to social pressure, is suboptimal because potential gains scale with the number of people you interact with.”
It’s quite the other way around—people who strongly conform to social pressure tend to be people who I will disagree with so much in theory and practice that I have no desire to attempt any sort of relationship. I find people who get ‘offended’, or care about ‘animal rights’, are far more likely to make me want to punch them than to contribute anything I have any interest in hearing.
“I don’t feel justified to demand that they do.”
Justification is phantom. I just couldn’t give a damn what they like or not. Why should I automatically have sympathy for these primates just because they happen to be related to me?
I don’t ‘demand’ anything of them, but I owe them nothing, either. I give them no more leave than I would a dog.
There are a variety of social interactions from which one can derive value outside the context of a simple economic transaction. Discussing intellectual topics, like on LW or in an academic environment is one example; professional networking to gain connections for career advancement is another. Excluding people for reasons unrelated to these goals, such as susceptibility to social pressure, is suboptimal because potential gains scale with the number of people you interact with.
Who you choose to socially interact with is otherwise pretty much arbitrary. Personally, I generally like your attitude and think the world could use more people who share it—but I don’t feel justified to demand that they do.
“Excluding people for reasons unrelated to these goals, such as susceptibility to social pressure, is suboptimal because potential gains scale with the number of people you interact with.” It’s quite the other way around—people who strongly conform to social pressure tend to be people who I will disagree with so much in theory and practice that I have no desire to attempt any sort of relationship. I find people who get ‘offended’, or care about ‘animal rights’, are far more likely to make me want to punch them than to contribute anything I have any interest in hearing.
“I don’t feel justified to demand that they do.” Justification is phantom. I just couldn’t give a damn what they like or not. Why should I automatically have sympathy for these primates just because they happen to be related to me? I don’t ‘demand’ anything of them, but I owe them nothing, either. I give them no more leave than I would a dog.