LESSWRONG
LW

25
Sunny Winter
0020
Message
Dialogue
Subscribe

Posts

Sorted by New

Wikitag Contributions

Comments

Sorted by
Newest
No posts to display.
No wikitag contributions to display.
Harder Choices Matter Less
Sunny Winter8d10

It is unreasonable to assume equifinality of outcomes in all cases of intractable decisions.  There are cases where your weightings of various factors result in satisfying value a while not satisfying value b with one decision, and the reverse being true with another decision.  In those cases you will have to figure out which value you care more about.  Perhaps justice, perhaps money, perhaps adventure, perhaps love.  

Take the job in this city and split with my girlfriend or not?

Have kids or not?

Move to another country for new opportunities and lose physical contact with my family?

This career or that one?  (Or degree, or partner, or etc..)

Decisions involving values tradeoffs can be both very hard and very consequential.  They can be intractable and produce different outcomes lasting for the rest of your life.  Some are irreversible, as well.

Reply
Boredom vs. Scope Insensitivity
Sunny Winter8d10

It is not fraud if it is per contract, and I believe the term to payout in case of suicide is normally well defined.  Anyway, we should be able to find a better reason for poster above to choose to live and help than fine points of insurance contracts.


First pass attempt:  Surely someone literally willing to die to save others can create a lot of good in life.  The poster displays a high level of commitment, forethought, even creativity and willingness to bend systems to output what they want.  The poster’s creativity, intellect, force of will, and active work will all have a daily impact on each person around them which money cannot match.  Additionally, the $1,000/life is rearward looking and possibly incorrect, and money spent on something is harder to adjust in real time to changing circumstances.  The poster with an unfettered will to make systems do what they want and the wherewithal to execute a long-term plan like that could be a meaningful force in the world.

Reply