I also agree that for most ppl, accurate beliefs about global issues don't matter much relative to the cost to you personally.
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Replying to @juliagalef @willwilkinson and
But pursuing accurate beliefs makes sense if either (1) you're personally in a position to affect the world, or (2) you're altruistic.
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Replying to @juliagalef @willwilkinson and
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
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Replying to @juliagalef @willwilkinson and
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
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Replying to @juliagalef @willwilkinson and
I think you're over-rating accuracy / truth as a primary goal.
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Replying to @michael_nielsen @willwilkinson and
I think it's hard to quantify importance, I'm just claiming it IS important (and underrated in general, I guess)
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Replying to @juliagalef @willwilkinson and
Sure. But I think there's a tension, too, between behaviours which maximize accuracy & which maximize creativity. Can't always have both.
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Replying to @michael_nielsen @willwilkinson and
I think there are big gains to accuracy that cost little creativity. Even just "Be interested in whether you're wrong" is a huge step up
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Replying to @juliagalef @willwilkinson and
As an individual I expect I'd mostly agree. But collectively I'd probably disagree. A lot of important truths come from v. irrational ppl.
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Replying to @michael_nielsen @willwilkinson and
Michael, do you have examples of truths arrived at through irrationality?
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An example I've mentioned before: Feynman, on the need to convince yourself of things which aren't true to make progress:pic.twitter.com/s9iRHMipjr
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Replying to @michael_nielsen @willwilkinson and
Yeah, I do think that "psyching yourself up" thing is an interesting edge case, kind of like suspension of disbelief to enjoy a movie...
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Replying to @juliagalef @michael_nielsen and
I know lots of ppl who do this well, & it might be crucial if our motivational systems can't run on EV alone! But it feels like an edge case
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