The people I know in person […] who insist that they are entirely rational, all of the time, have at times annoyed me[.]
Yeah, such people annoy me too.
That’s why I particularly like the title of this blog. One can never be perfect, but one can strive for perfection. One can never be 100% correct, but one can be Less Wrong.
PS to all: Yeah, I know that I’ve made my comment in a poor context, but ‘Less Wrong’ really is an excellent title for a blog, isn’t it? I just want to sing its praises.
Agreed about “Less Wrong”—not only do I like the name, but when I mention it, it generally gets a good response from people who’ve never heard it before.
YES!
When I showed the blog to my friends, they immediately “got it”: “It’s not about being always right, which is impossible, it’s about being wrong less often”.
I find the same thing. However, I think it gives the impression that humans are almost rational, and only need to correct biases to become so. In fact the situation is quite the reverse, rational minds occupy a very small area in mind-space, and it requires a positive effort to hit this target.
I think it gives the impression that humans are almost rational, and only need to correct biases to become so.
That’s why nobody should use a silly name like ‘Overcoming Bias’. (^_^) :-)
Actually, I disagree. To me, ‘less wrong’ is a title of humility that suggests that we are wrong but need to become less so. In contrast, ‘more correct‘ would suggest to me that we are already correct but can still become more so.
Similarly, ‘half full’ sounds optimistic while ‘half empty’ sounds pessimistic, even though their literal meaning is identical. It’s a matter of the emphasis to which the listener is drawn.
Yeah, such people annoy me too.
That’s why I particularly like the title of this blog. One can never be perfect, but one can strive for perfection. One can never be 100% correct, but one can be Less Wrong.
PS to all: Yeah, I know that I’ve made my comment in a poor context, but ‘Less Wrong’ really is an excellent title for a blog, isn’t it? I just want to sing its praises.
Agreed about “Less Wrong”—not only do I like the name, but when I mention it, it generally gets a good response from people who’ve never heard it before.
YES! When I showed the blog to my friends, they immediately “got it”: “It’s not about being always right, which is impossible, it’s about being wrong less often”.
I find the same thing. However, I think it gives the impression that humans are almost rational, and only need to correct biases to become so. In fact the situation is quite the reverse, rational minds occupy a very small area in mind-space, and it requires a positive effort to hit this target.
That’s why nobody should use a silly name like ‘Overcoming Bias’. (^_^) :-)
Actually, I disagree. To me, ‘less wrong’ is a title of humility that suggests that we are wrong but need to become less so. In contrast, ‘more correct‘ would suggest to me that we are already correct but can still become more so.
Similarly, ‘half full’ sounds optimistic while ‘half empty’ sounds pessimistic, even though their literal meaning is identical. It’s a matter of the emphasis to which the listener is drawn.
This may be highly subjective.
Imo ‘half full’ implies that the glass is filling, whereas ‘half empty’ implies that it is emptying.
Do you have any ideas for a short phrase to express that concept?
I think this isn’t exactly the same, but is in a similar direction.
Not really. Um, MoreRight?