Re: Books on rationality

From: Michael Roy Ames (michaelroyames@hotmail.com)
Date: Thu Jun 06 2002 - 19:45:26 MDT


Eliezer wrote:
>
> I have found that, despite all common wisdom, the most critical part of
> being really creative lies in narrowing down inventiveness to correct
ideas,
> not in "brainstorming". I don't need brainstorming. I'm inventive enough
> already. What's needed is inventiveness that hits correct targets and
comes
> up with ideas that are *really* true and not just ideas that *sound* true.
>

The self observation that you do not find brainstorming useful is
interesting... but you are quite the exceptional individual. For most
everyone else (me included) brainstorming is a very productive way of
breaking out of mental ruts, of piercing through layers of social niceties,
of stimulating people to voice thier intuitions. Brainstorming is not
intended to come up with many *good ideas*, rather it is intended to come up
with many *ideas*, only a very small percentage of which will be *good*.
This may seem to you like a lot of work for a little, tiny benefit... but
bare in mind that a determined peon, who doesn't have the brains to think
thier way out of a problem directly, will try just about *anything* to make
progress, even something with a low probablility of success :)

>
> Real rationality is very, very rare.
>

You said it mate.

Michael Roy Ames.



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