5 ms·

Point 4 has an intriguing modern analogue: the overwhelming desire many (most?) of us feel to correct someone who makes a factually incorrect statement on the i

Point 4 has an intriguing modern analogue: the overwhelming desire many (most?) of us feel to correct someone who makes a factually incorrect statement on the internet. Perhaps the monkey is genetically hard-wired to be a smart-arse.

dan00 8y ago
> Perhaps the monkey is genetically hard-wired to be a smart-arse. I think it is more about smart people being somehow able to see the pointlessness of the status game with materialistic objects, but somehow not how they're playing the same game with knowledge. On the other side smart people can be quite insecure about their smartness, that they might not be as smart as they think. So correcting others on the internet might be a way to quieten these insecurities.
- Tade0 8y ago
  My take is that it's simply satisfying and addicting. I managed to partly wean myself from this only by realising that people are rather interested in reinforcing their opinions than facts.
  - Angostura 8y ago
    > addicting addictive. ... yes, apparently you are right.
    - pure-awesome 8y ago
      Actually, addicting is considered an acceptable form of the word; https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/20327/whats-the-difference-between-addictive-and-addicting https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/20327/whats-the-... ...wait a minute.
- TomMarius 8y ago
  > On the other side smart people can be quite insecure about their smartness, that they might not be as smart as they think. So correcting others on the internet might be a way to quieten these insecurities. I've seen these insecurities and many times they had solid ground. Dunning-Krugger effect is widespread.
- kingkawn 8y ago
  I think they are revealing the underlying character of how they were educated into ‘smartness.’
- darepublic 8y ago
  Or it could be that you sense that humanity is sliding into ignorance and falsehood and you make a heroic keyboard attempt to save it
- blotter_paper 8y ago
  I think you're correct on both counts, and that status-gaming is the main cause of this behavior. I'd like to pitch another potential contributor, though: correcting each other is how we spread useful knowledge, which helps our group compete against other groups.
- closeparen 8y ago
  Calling out the pointlessness of status games is usually just mocking the now-low-status players for failing to realize that the scoring rubric has changed. Your flashy BMW is pathetic and sad and destroying the environment, but wait till you hear about how tricky it was to stick to Keto on my 2nd trip to Thailand this year. Worth it, though. Man, people with their fancy cars and big houses are so tacky. Why doesn't everyone just take 20 minutes and walk to work like me?
k__ 8y ago
I tried to use this in a blogpost this week. Somehow people just said "Well, sounds about right"
- pure-awesome 8y ago
  Hindsight bias is a thing - people tend to overestimate their ability to have known or predicted something they've found out. This page describes the effect quite well: https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/WnheMGAka4fL99eae/hindsight-devalues-science https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/WnheMGAka4fL99eae/hindsight-...
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
claudiawerner 8y ago
>Cunningham's Law states "the best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer." https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cunningham%27s_Law https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cunningham%27s_Law

dan00 8y ago

> Perhaps the monkey is genetically hard-wired to be a smart-arse. I think it is more about smart people being somehow able to see the pointlessness of the status game with materialistic objects, but somehow not how they're playing the same game with knowledge. On the other side smart people can be quite insecure about their smartness, that they might not be as smart as they think. So correcting others on the internet might be a way to quieten these insecurities.

Tade0 8y ago
My take is that it's simply satisfying and addicting. I managed to partly wean myself from this only by realising that people are rather interested in reinforcing their opinions than facts.
- Angostura 8y ago
  > addicting addictive. ... yes, apparently you are right.
  - pure-awesome 8y ago
    Actually, addicting is considered an acceptable form of the word; https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/20327/whats-the-difference-between-addictive-and-addicting https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/20327/whats-the-... ...wait a minute.
TomMarius 8y ago
> On the other side smart people can be quite insecure about their smartness, that they might not be as smart as they think. So correcting others on the internet might be a way to quieten these insecurities. I've seen these insecurities and many times they had solid ground. Dunning-Krugger effect is widespread.
kingkawn 8y ago
I think they are revealing the underlying character of how they were educated into ‘smartness.’
darepublic 8y ago
Or it could be that you sense that humanity is sliding into ignorance and falsehood and you make a heroic keyboard attempt to save it
blotter_paper 8y ago
I think you're correct on both counts, and that status-gaming is the main cause of this behavior. I'd like to pitch another potential contributor, though: correcting each other is how we spread useful knowledge, which helps our group compete against other groups.
closeparen 8y ago
Calling out the pointlessness of status games is usually just mocking the now-low-status players for failing to realize that the scoring rubric has changed. Your flashy BMW is pathetic and sad and destroying the environment, but wait till you hear about how tricky it was to stick to Keto on my 2nd trip to Thailand this year. Worth it, though. Man, people with their fancy cars and big houses are so tacky. Why doesn't everyone just take 20 minutes and walk to work like me?

k__ 8y ago

I tried to use this in a blogpost this week. Somehow people just said "Well, sounds about right"

pure-awesome 8y ago
Hindsight bias is a thing - people tend to overestimate their ability to have known or predicted something they've found out. This page describes the effect quite well: https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/WnheMGAka4fL99eae/hindsight-devalues-science https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/WnheMGAka4fL99eae/hindsight-...

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

claudiawerner 8y ago

>Cunningham's Law states "the best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer." https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cunningham%27s_Law https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cunningham%27s_Law