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Hyperstition: Unfounded Beliefs Can Outperform Rationality, Says LessWrong Post

By PulseAugur Editorial · [1 sources] ·

This post explores the concept of hyperstition, where unfounded beliefs can sometimes lead to better outcomes than strict rationality. It argues that certain societal structures, like belief in God or absolute morality, can foster better equilibria by relying on deeply held, non-rational convictions. The author suggests that rationalists, while able to explain these phenomena, may be unable to achieve similar societal cohesion because their approach prioritizes evidence over faith. AI

IMPACT Explores the tension between rationalist principles and the potential benefits of non-rational beliefs in achieving societal goals.

RANK_REASON The item is an opinion piece discussing a philosophical concept related to AI alignment and rationality.

Read on LessWrong (AI tag) →

AI-generated summary · Google Gemini · from 1 sources. How we write summaries →

Hyperstition: Unfounded Beliefs Can Outperform Rationality, Says LessWrong Post

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The item is an opinion piece discussing a philosophical concept related to AI alignment and rationality.
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COVERAGE [1]

  1. LessWrong (AI tag) TIER_1 English(EN) · alseph ·

    Hyperstition as the Natural Enemy of Rationality

    <blockquote><p><span>If the box contains a diamond,</span></p><p><span>I desire to believe that the box contains a diamond;</span></p><p><span>If the box does not contain a diamond right now, but will contain a diamond if I believe there is a diamond,</span></p><p><span>Uh...</sp…

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