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@s_r_constantin | |||||
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Or, at any rate, we have to accept it because it's inevitable. People aren't clones or oracles. Everybody acting on their best judgment (informed by communication with others) is the best humans can possibly do.
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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21. ruj |
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This also rhymes with Justin Murphy's idea that "communism" (which he thinks of in an unorthodox way" requires "accurate social valuation of individual characters". theotherlifenow.com/aristocracy-an…
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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21. ruj |
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Murphy notes that "intentional communities" fail because people don't reward helpfulness and competence, or punish freeloading and sociopathy. The kinds of people who join those communities aren't even *trying* to do that, because they don't believe character matters.
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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21. ruj |
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Murphy's proposal is strangely simple: "Each person in a community agrees to assign status (i.e. distribute their respect) to all the others according to the others' contributions to the community, however each person honestly evaluates the others' contributions."
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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21. ruj |
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You can start doing this *now*, immediately, wherever you are. Is someone doing something you think is a public service? Praise them or donate to them! Is someone doing something you think is harmful to your community or to humanity? Say so, and withdraw your help!
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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21. ruj |
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Unilaterally choose to, as best you can, make the incentives you send match the things you value. No human incentive system, including the market, can function if people don't *mostly* succeed in doing this.
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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21. ruj |
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The basic idea of communism is "the workers do all the actual work, and they are being exploited by a tiny number of people who contribute nothing and just leech off them. But if the workers do all the work, they *have all the power.* Why do they tolerate exploitation?"
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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21. ruj |
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"The workers are *strong*, not weak; if they are systematically exploited it must be because they are confused, lack confidence in their strength, or lack coordination mechanisms. Therefore, raising their awareness and confidence and helping coordinate will solve their problem."
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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21. ruj |
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I'm not a communist. But my only real disagreement with *this* argument, thus far, is that I think people who do genuine professional, managerial, mercantile, or intellectual work are not parasites but contributors. The "workers" are literally everybody whose work is useful.
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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21. ruj |
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It's easier to *disguise* zero-sum exploitation as positive-sum contribution if you're professional-class -- there's not much doubt that most janitors are really cleaning, while it's more ambiguous whether most bankers are really trading.
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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21. ruj |
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Nobody can know infallibly whether somebody is doing positive-sum contribution or zero-sum exploitation. People will have different opinions. This is fine.
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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21. ruj |
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I don't necessarily believe that there is a well-defined group called "exploiters", responsible for most social ills, that the majority of people can recognize and can coordinate to keep out.
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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21. ruj |
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What I believe is that if a significant fraction of people -- including many of the most productive and morally idealistic -- are deluded into thinking that they shouldn't or can't judge people's character & incentivize them accordingly, we're underperforming.
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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21. ruj |
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Paul Graham's idea of a "good person" may be quite different from Justin Murphy's. But both of them would be wrong to suppress their impulses to associate with good people and disassociate with bad people.
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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21. ruj |
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To be clear, I don’t mean “cancel everyone who has flaws and give no second chances.” Not at all. I mean *proportional* incentives; be more willing to help people the more helpful/constructive you think they are on net.
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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21. ruj |
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And “just say no” to extortion. Don’t help people because they threaten to harm you otherwise.
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