To be fair Less Wrong’s definition of rationality is specifically designed so that no reasonable person could ever disagree that more rationality is always good, thereby making the definition almost meaningless.
In my experience, the problem is not with disagreeing, but rather that most people won’t even consider the LW definition of rationality. They will use the nearest cliche instead, explain why the cliche is problematic, and that’s the end of rationality discourse.
So, for me the main message of LW is this: A better definition of rationality is possible.
We don’t just use ‘winning’ because, well.. ‘winning’ can easily work out to ‘losing’ in real world terms. (think of a person who alienates everyone they meet through their extreme competitiveness. They are focused on winning, to the point that they sacrifice good relations with people. But this is both a) not what is meant by ‘rationalists win’ and b) a highly accessible definition of winning—naive “Competition X exists. Agent A wins, Agent B loses”). VASTLY more accessible than ‘achieving what actually improves your life, as opposed to what you merely want or are under pressure to achieve’
I’d like to use the word ‘winning’, but I think it conveys even less of the intended meaning than ‘rationality’ to the average person.
In my experience, the problem is not with disagreeing, but rather that most people won’t even consider the LW definition of rationality. They will use the nearest cliche instead, explain why the cliche is problematic, and that’s the end of rationality discourse.
So, for me the main message of LW is this: A better definition of rationality is possible.
It’s not a different definition of rationality. It’s a different word for winning.
If they’re not willing to use “rationality” that way, then just abandon the word.
We don’t just use ‘winning’ because, well.. ‘winning’ can easily work out to ‘losing’ in real world terms. (think of a person who alienates everyone they meet through their extreme competitiveness. They are focused on winning, to the point that they sacrifice good relations with people. But this is both a) not what is meant by ‘rationalists win’ and b) a highly accessible definition of winning—naive “Competition X exists. Agent A wins, Agent B loses”). VASTLY more accessible than ‘achieving what actually improves your life, as opposed to what you merely want or are under pressure to achieve’
I’d like to use the word ‘winning’, but I think it conveys even less of the intended meaning than ‘rationality’ to the average person.