NancyLebovitz comments on Open Thread, October 1-15, 2012

NancyLebovitz 6 Oct 2012 17:54 UTC
0 points

I was wondering how many were equipping themselves to win in the physical realm.

The sort of victory LWers are looking for, I hope, is winning as a result of a cooperative effort to gain more knowledge. In a sense, it’s us (“us” includes all relatively honest seekers of knowledge, not just LWers) vs. the universe.

Winning in the physical realm should include some estimate of the odds of needing weapons.
- Rain 6 Oct 2012 19:02 UTC
  3 points
  Parent
  Eliezer:
  
  Long, long ago, I think at around age nine or something, I was taking a Tae Kwon Do class.
  
  At one point the master said to me, “Attack me.”
  
  I gave him a skeptical look.
  
  He said, “Attack me the way you would attack me in real life.”
  
  I raised my finger and thumb, pointed it at him, and said “Bang.”
  
  He laughed and called up the next student.
  
  However, I bet he’s unarmed. It’s my estimate that this community is pacifistic and avoids the calculation you mention.
- DanArmak 8 Oct 2012 22:36 UTC
  −2 points
  Parent
  
  Winning in the physical realm should include some estimate of the odds of needing weapons.
  
  That would be far too intellectual.