This essay is an example of the ancient LessWrong genre, “dumb mistakes your brain might be making which feel obvious once someone points them out.” I love this genre, and think You Don’t Get To Have Cool Flaws should be included in the Best Of LessWrong posts.
It’s so easy to make this mistake! In fiction, complex and beloved characters have flaws. Fiction can set examples we try to live up to. Flaws are easier to emulate than virtues. I can’t train as hard as Batman, and I can’t be as wealthy as Batman, but I can brood! Brooding is easy! But the flaw isn’t why I want to be like Batman!
This is such a succinct essay that I worry my review might get longer than the essay itself and I’m just repeating the good points, but pointing out that people can identify with their flaws is worth the verbiage. Sure, perfection is hard, but flaws shouldn’t be accepted stable parts of yourself. Why would you ever operate like that? Because the flaw is cool? Because it’s been a part of me for a long time? Because it distinguishes me from other people nearby? Because it means less work? None of those are good reasons.
I’m not going to fix all my flaws tomorrow, but I can at least remember that they are things I would fix if I could snap my fingers and change myself however I wanted.
This essay is an example of the ancient LessWrong genre, “dumb mistakes your brain might be making which feel obvious once someone points them out.” I love this genre, and think You Don’t Get To Have Cool Flaws should be included in the Best Of LessWrong posts.
It’s so easy to make this mistake! In fiction, complex and beloved characters have flaws. Fiction can set examples we try to live up to. Flaws are easier to emulate than virtues. I can’t train as hard as Batman, and I can’t be as wealthy as Batman, but I can brood! Brooding is easy! But the flaw isn’t why I want to be like Batman!
This is such a succinct essay that I worry my review might get longer than the essay itself and I’m just repeating the good points, but pointing out that people can identify with their flaws is worth the verbiage. Sure, perfection is hard, but flaws shouldn’t be accepted stable parts of yourself. Why would you ever operate like that? Because the flaw is cool? Because it’s been a part of me for a long time? Because it distinguishes me from other people nearby? Because it means less work? None of those are good reasons.
I’m not going to fix all my flaws tomorrow, but I can at least remember that they are things I would fix if I could snap my fingers and change myself however I wanted.