A belief is irrational if you use irrational methods of thinking to obtain it. I consider most irrational beliefs to be the result of ignorance of or incompetence in the methods of rationality, rather than selfishness or malice. (I guess we could argue about whether anti-epistemology is an example of incompetence or of willful going-astray.)
I can’t speak for Roko, but I imagine that on Less Wrong, almost all failures of rationality are the result of incompetence.
I imagine that on Less Wrong, almost all failures of rationality are the result of incompetence.
If I’m not able to understand my failure I still want to know if one thinks I am incompetent. I won’t be able to understand how the person arrived at this conclusion, if it is due to a lack of intelligence on my side, but I’ll be able to allow for the possibility and take it into account if I ever get stuck trying to reach a goal. So if someone honestly believes that I am too dumb he/she should say so and I won’t perceive it as an insult. I just want to stress this point because he claimed that some posts, comments and the LW consensus about many things that real people deal with in the real world is actually (factually) wrong. He has to tell me because I’m not sure what he means, yet it is very important to know.
A belief is irrational if you use irrational methods of thinking to obtain it. I consider most irrational beliefs to be the result of ignorance of or incompetence in the methods of rationality, rather than selfishness or malice. (I guess we could argue about whether anti-epistemology is an example of incompetence or of willful going-astray.)
I can’t speak for Roko, but I imagine that on Less Wrong, almost all failures of rationality are the result of incompetence.
If I’m not able to understand my failure I still want to know if one thinks I am incompetent. I won’t be able to understand how the person arrived at this conclusion, if it is due to a lack of intelligence on my side, but I’ll be able to allow for the possibility and take it into account if I ever get stuck trying to reach a goal. So if someone honestly believes that I am too dumb he/she should say so and I won’t perceive it as an insult. I just want to stress this point because he claimed that some posts, comments and the LW consensus about many things that real people deal with in the real world is actually (factually) wrong. He has to tell me because I’m not sure what he means, yet it is very important to know.