michael_nielsen

14. We all need a home. If that desire for safety/acceptance/status produces more usefully true thoughts, that's awesome.

I agree w/the importance of shaping motives! This is what my book (in progress) is about. But I disagree that other Rs don't care about that

e.g., see my TED talk on emotional engineering of rationality: https://www.ted.com/talks/julia_galef_why_you_think_you_re_right_even_if_you_re_wrong … (title is kinda misleading)

I also agree that for most ppl, accurate beliefs about global issues don't matter much relative to the cost to you personally.

But pursuing accurate beliefs makes sense if either (1) you're personally in a position to affect the world, or (2) you're altruistic.

Seeking true views on global issues is kinda like voting - maybe not worth cost to you personally, but we all lose if ppl think that way

So: Truth is worth cost to you if you can use it to better impact world. If not, it's still a noble act of societal cooperation, like voting

I think you're over-rating accuracy / truth as a primary goal.