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You take a strange lesson from an anecdote about artificial super-intelligences. In the book, the AIs can spend time in a limitless virtual universe, better tha

You take a strange lesson from an anecdote about artificial super-intelligences. In the book, the AIs can spend time in a limitless virtual universe, better than reality. Time spent in "infinite fun" (as they call it) has no value because it has no impact on what happens in the real world, hence the importance of remembering where the off-switch is. It's about having an effect on the world, not the world having an effect on you. Someone who spends a lot of time (and in all likelihood is wired to spend a lot of time) thinking about their work is not wasting their time; they are preparing to have an effect on the world.

simpaticoder 2y ago
Where did you see a value judgment? The imagination factor is a trade-off, neither good nor bad in itself. It's normally distributed, and selection pressure will push the median up or down. The utility of the concept comes in personal interaction - those with high IF speaking with low IF people should respect the value of (perhaps multiples) of real-world experience that they have. In effect, the concept of IF is a tool of both humility and empathy.
- mpalmer 2y ago
  "Those who spend their time flying through imaginary worlds do well to remember where the off switch is." And you didn't say anything about "real-worlders" having humility and respect for the other party. I think a reasonable person infers a value judgment from those two things together.