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The majority of people, who when told of the singularity, automatically dismiss it offhand only because it has that Hollywood "scifi ridiculous" sound to it, se

by Jkeg 16y ago

The majority of people, who when told of the singularity, automatically dismiss it offhand only because it has that Hollywood "scifi ridiculous" sound to it, seem a lot less sane to me than anyone on that list.

astine 16y ago
That seems like a poor measure of 'sanity' to me. Dismissing the possibility of something because it sounds ridiculous doesn't make you crazy, just intellectually lazy at worst. Actively campaigning for a future where humans lose their humanity without the least thought as to the potential dangers? Imprudent at best, crazy at worst.
- Jkeg 16y ago
  It's definitely intellectually lazy. But dismissing something because it was also made into a bunch of films? Utterly failing to think for yourself and just reacting via knee-jerk because it's past an arbitrary mental line of what's 'acceptable' to consider? Certainly falls under 'crazy' (i.e. high irrationality), just not what most people think of when they hear 'crazy'. And I certainly wouldn't characterize singularitarians as advocating a human-less future without considering potential dangers. Anyone associated with the Singularity Institute for one will at least claim to consider potential dangers.
Avshalom 16y ago
Most people have spent their lifetime watching people completely fail at predicting even the immediate future. Dismissing predictions of the singularity as scifi bullshit isn't a lack of sanity, it's basic extrapolation.
- Jkeg 16y ago
  So these people think they are better predictors of the future than all the people who failed, even though they probably never made a serious prediction themselves? They believe something is never going to happen just because it hasn't happened yet? Sounds highly irrational to me.
  - Avshalom 16y ago
    There is a MASSIVE difference between "you're wrong" and "I'm right". Calling the singularity bullshit in a casual conversation is an example of the prior.

by Jkeg 16y ago

astine 16y ago

That seems like a poor measure of 'sanity' to me. Dismissing the possibility of something because it sounds ridiculous doesn't make you crazy, just intellectually lazy at worst. Actively campaigning for a future where humans lose their humanity without the least thought as to the potential dangers? Imprudent at best, crazy at worst.

Jkeg 16y ago
It's definitely intellectually lazy. But dismissing something because it was also made into a bunch of films? Utterly failing to think for yourself and just reacting via knee-jerk because it's past an arbitrary mental line of what's 'acceptable' to consider? Certainly falls under 'crazy' (i.e. high irrationality), just not what most people think of when they hear 'crazy'. And I certainly wouldn't characterize singularitarians as advocating a human-less future without considering potential dangers. Anyone associated with the Singularity Institute for one will at least claim to consider potential dangers.

Avshalom 16y ago

Most people have spent their lifetime watching people completely fail at predicting even the immediate future. Dismissing predictions of the singularity as scifi bullshit isn't a lack of sanity, it's basic extrapolation.

Jkeg 16y ago
So these people think they are better predictors of the future than all the people who failed, even though they probably never made a serious prediction themselves? They believe something is never going to happen just because it hasn't happened yet? Sounds highly irrational to me.
- Avshalom 16y ago
  There is a MASSIVE difference between "you're wrong" and "I'm right". Calling the singularity bullshit in a casual conversation is an example of the prior.