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Discovering truth >>> Avoiding error

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Discovering truth >>> Avoiding error

Mike Elias
Jun 29, 2022
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Discovering truth >>> Avoiding error

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As a general rule, discovering truth seems far more beneficial than avoiding error.

To illustrate —

Discovering a truth: Dinosaurs are real. This is knowledge you can use to corroborate other things.

Avoiding an error: Dragons aren’t real. Establishing Dragons aren’t real does not establish that anything else is real. Instead of having a new piece of information to corroborate other things with, you have found something to exclude — you have removed information from your repertoire. Removing things involves risk. It’s very possible you just haven’t found the right set of corroborations to become convinced yet, but by removing a possibility, you usurp the future — you guarantee you’ll never learn that particular thing, even if it’s true.

To summarize —

  • The strategy of discovering truths “unlocks” more truths via corroboration.

  • The strategy of avoiding error creates more errors by prematurely causing you to negate things.

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Discovering truth >>> Avoiding error

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Oliver Klingefjord
Writes Meaning Alignment Institute
Jun 29, 2022Liked by Mike Elias

This same line of reasoning is why negation-based ethics (Less Wrong, climate change movement) is making its followers anxious and unable to lead a good life.

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