RE: How do you calm down the hot-heads?

From: Rafal Smigrodzki (rafal@smigrodzki.org)
Date: Thu Aug 28 2003 - 10:17:22 MDT

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    Robbie wrote:
    >>> If you think it's sophistry, try to rewrite human morality without
    >>> bravery and say genuinely to yourself that you want to want THAT.
    >
    >> ### I'd perfectly satisfied with a world without a single brave
    >> person, if bravery means willing to die for a cause. Hot-heads are a
    >> nuisance. Competent performance of contracts is all I would ask for.
    >
    > Then you have a world full of cowards.
    >
    > I hope you can see why this is unrealistic. In a world full of
    > cowards, evil brave people take advantage.

    ### A coward is a person who does not fulfill expectations it terms of the
    willingness to face danger, including a failure to perform according to
    previously assumed obligations. A world of persons who fulfill contracts
    would not be a world of cowards.

    -------------------------------
    >
    > Only the honorable, genuinely brave people provide a reasonable
    > defense against the evil brave.
    >
    ### Only the calm, smart, relentlessly rational, long-term thinkers are a
    defense against the brave, the stupid and the good-intentioned. Such people
    will assume risks according to a rational analysis of possible outcomes,
    design societies and themselves by recourse to game theory, ruthlessly
    destroy defectors and face death if needed - but only if needed.

    The brave will run headlong into battle as soon as some manipulative
    politico pushes his "special cause" buttons - mostly tribal loyalty, and
    fear of the unknown.

    Death to the brave!

    --------------------------

    >
    > If you'd like a world in which people come together to jointly improve
    > their world, promote bravery and goodness.
    >

    ### No, I run scared of bravery and goodness.

    Whenever you project the outcome of "goodness" far enough into the future,
    it becomes either identical with self-interest (however defined), or else
    descends into incoherence. Calm rationality, and a long-term outlook are all
    we need to make the best world there can be.

    Rafal

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