Culture seems like an object of this type! For better or for worse.
rafaelCosman
Karma: 19
Yes! And additionally, that even conditional on all of Yudkowsky’s dire predictions being correct, that we can perform significantly better as a community (and civilization) by taking a more positive attitude (as exemplified by Paul’s post).
People and entire societies have faced tough situations (including existential ones) many times and I think there are patterns to what sorts of attitudes maximize probability of success. Facing the brutal facts but remaining hopeful, passionate, and creative.
Excellent post, thank you Paul. This is an important message that the community needs to hear right now.
Hey Zac, I think that’s a valid concern. There are various “god powers” that we could potentially use to alleviate suffering, but again, that’s not a complete solution. I would claim though, that even given the suffering our universe contains, we should be glad it exists (as opposed to not existing at all).
I suppose this is also related to the debate between negative and classical utilitarians!
Great post, thank you! This could help explain the general intuition about “too good to be true”.