Character#2736

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demodex_folliculorum

The humble demodex mite serves a lesson in dominance

The only insect to inhabit all seven continents

In urban areas and temperate climates, the mite abounds

But in every Earthly biome, demodex is sure to be found

From the lively lush rainforest to the desolate tundra

Through cold wind-swept Antarctica to the sun-soaked Sahara

In mountains and caves, swamp forests and shrubland

In China, Brazil, North Sentinal Island

At any given time, there's demodex in the ocean

In nuclear submarines, and the International Space Station

Surviving earthquakes, fires, radiation, and typhoons

Hell, demodex has even been to the moon!

These little mites have no special protection

No impenetrable shell, no regeneration

Nor the multiple copies of DNA for which Conan is famous

We only recently discovered that they have an anus!

So how did these weak mites get so many places?

Well, they live on human human faces.

Replying toEmpathy Has Outworn Its Place in Politics

By "emotional concern", I intended to convey that you feel an emotional impulse in response to how someone else feels; you are physically/emotionally upset by seeing someone suffering, and you are made physically/emotionally joyful by seeing someone succeeding.

Replying toWhy I Transitioned: A Response

Why I Transitioned: A Response

Hello, different trans person replying here. (FtM, if it matters.)

I would be completely fine if there was some "trans gene" that was identified and eradicated, so as long as the already-living people who possessed them were not killed or otherwise infringed upon. Gender dysphoria has been nothing but a net-negative on my life. Being suicidal since the onset of puberty, paying for medicated perpetually, and being socially displaced (and not just due to prejudice; well-intentioned people will mistake your identity sometimes, and treat you differently than a normal person) are not positive experiences, nor have they led to any positive experience or insight I would have not arrived at otherwise. Nothing of value would be lost.

I would make the stronger preposition that any trans person who disagrees is either being disingenuous (likely for rhetorical reasons), is overpowered by emotions, or does not have gender dysphoria/is not transgender, but I'm not in a position to defend it.

-2

-9

Replying toParks Aren't Nature

Parks Aren't Nature

A quick example I like to use when people around me appeal to nature is that smallpox and arsenic are natural, air conditioning and manufactured clothing are not.

Replying toEmpathy Has Outworn Its Place in Politics

My stipulated definition is not "small-scale kindness", it is the emotional concern for other's well-being that causes an "emotional inclination to be kind". Politicians lack concern for others' suffering because they cannot have sonder, and therefore cannot have emotional concern, for the suffering of everyone their policies will affect. (Just about everyone has intellectual/abstract concern for others' suffering; we can all say, "children dying in a war is bad", but when we hear news about such, we don't have the same emotional reaction that we would have if the dying children were members of our own families or communities.) Emotionally identifying with and caring about people is known as affective/compassionate empathy; those... (read more)

Character#27367dQuick Take

Just went to my first rationalist/EA meetup; it was wonderful to have a friendly and measured discussion with people who valued rationality. Would highly recommend real-life conversation!

•••

Replying toEmpathy Has Outworn Its Place in Politics

Character#27367d

Thank you for catching that! I will fix the post once I have the time. Still, even if Dunbar's number does not directly define the limits of human empathy, it does limit the amount of people you can really conceptualize or understand in an intuitive manner; anything beyond that has to be abstraction. (That is, it limits the amount of people who you can really feel sonder for, even though we all know abstractly that all eight billion of us have inner lives as valuable as our own.) You cannot feel empathy towards something that is not a person (to empathize with inanimate objects or animals, you need to humanize/anthropomorphize them), and since Dunbar's number limits the amount of people you can conceptualize, it limits empathy.

Replying toEmpathy Has Outworn Its Place in Politics

Character#27367d

[E]mpathy, defined here as the identification with and emotional inclination to be kind towards another person

When do I use a different definition than the one above? If I have made an error, I am interested in correcting it.

Character#27367dQuick Take

I know many members and influential figures of this are atheists; regardless, does anyone think it would be a good idea to take a rationalist approach to religious scripture? If anything, doing so might introduce greater numbers of the religious to rationalism. Plus, it doesn't seem like anyone here has done so before; all the posts regarding religion have been criticizing it from the outside rather than explaining things within the religious framework. Even if you do not believe in said religious framework, doing so may increase your knowledge on other cultures, provide an interesting exercise in reasoning, and most importantly, be useful in winning arguments with those who do.

-2

The Argument for Autonomy

It should go without saying, particularly on such a politically inclined and well-informed forum such as LessWrong, that political polarization is rising across the United States. It should also go without saying that this is detrimental to our nation; the efficacy of our government is hindered by partisanship and our communities are fractured and incohesive. (Excited for the holidays, anyone?) Social media, the pandemic, the economic situation, and other modern issues are widely blamed, and indeed contribute significantly to our current predicament, but political polarization exists and has persisted independently of these factors. Further, we cannot simply “turn off” social media, pandemics, and economic troubles; accordingly, our nation must learn to cope... (read 1195 more words →)

-26

So I saved up all month to spend a weekend at the Hilbert Hotel, eagerly awaiting the beautiful grounds, luxurious amenities, and the (prominently advertised) infinite number of rooms. Unfortunately, I never got to use the amenities; my time was occupied as I was forced to schlep my luggage from room to room every time they got a new guest. You'd think you'd finally have a moment to relax, but then the loudspeakers would squwak, "The conference of Moms Against Ankle-Biting Chihuahuas has arrived, everybody move two-hundred thirty-seven rooms down!" and you'd have to start up again. By the time I was asked to move all my stuff from the 468219869th room... (read more)

19d

This post was inspired by @Vladimir_Nesov's insistence that "it's especially worth checking if you can actually articulate how you know what everybody knows, before you let yourself know it" in conjunction with @TAG's response to a previous post of mine, replying, "Says who?" to my statement that "your moral philosophy, personal values, and religion do not give you the right to infringe upon the freedoms of others". Here, I will attempt to articulate why one ought not to force their personal values (moral philosophies and religions are just sets of beliefs and values) upon those around them, even if they feel such intervention is justified.

It is easy enough to articulate why one's... (read 2968 more words →)

-4

Chara#2736's Shortform

Informed Consent as the Sole Criterion for Medical Treatment

3mo

This is a special post for quick takes (aka "shortform"). Only the owner can create top-level comments.

A quick reminder not to allow perfect to be the enemy of good; just because a proposal does not completely resolve a problem does not mean it will not improve the situation. It is better to do something right rather than endlessly quibble about doing nothing wrong. We must strive to do our best, even when it is not enough, rather than becoming paralyzed by the sheer scale of the world's problems. Be kind to the people around you, practice self-care, and be willing to forgive yourself while correcting your errors.

Have a wonderful Saturday night!

Suicide Prevention Ought To Be Illegal

3mo

Introduction

It's an unfortunately common story; a concerned patient approaches a doctor with a litany of unusual and unpleasant symptoms, and is told they are simply old, overweight, pregnant, mentally ill, or some combination of the four. Even as the patient eats healthier, exercises, reduces stress, and confirms they are not pregnant, the symptoms persist or worsen. If the patient is especially concerned or persistent, they may switch doctors, only to face the same dismissals. They may begin to suspect the presence of a particular illness and request testing or treatments, but are repeatedly dismissed by various medical professionals. Eventually, their affliction worsens to a point where it can no longer be ignored,... (read 1057 more words →)