Eliezer Yudkowsky - louis030195

#rationality #ai-alignment #ai # [[Epistemic status]] #shower-thought # Eliezer Yudkowsky #to-digest <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25131230-rationality" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Rationality: From AI to Zombies" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1440562023l/25131230._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25131230-rationality">Rationality: From AI to Zombies</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4533716.Eliezer_Yudkowsky">Eliezer Yudkowsky</a> My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4252753159">5 of 5 stars</a> ## Light shall overcome darkness The sun set this evening in the clouds. Tomorrow, the storm shall come, and the evening, and the night; But to-morrow's sun will rise again, And the storm will pass away. All things must change; Even the clouds that darken our sky. So let us not fear the storm, But let us embrace the change. It is the guide that we use to figure out how the world works, And to find solutions to the problems we face. It is the light that dispels the darkness, And the force that drives away the fear And let us not be afraid to question everything, To doubt even our own thoughts and beliefs. For only by questioning can we find the truth, And only by doubting can we be sure that we are not fooling ourselves. ## The man who laughed Ah! In the end you will howl, wretch! In the end you will writhe like a worm on a hook! In the end you will know that I was right, And you were nothing but a mindless drone, A pathetic puppet dancing on strings, A mindless animal existing for naught But to serve my purpose! You thought you were so clever, You thought you knew it all, You thought you could outwit me, But in the end you will fall! You will realize that all along I was the one in control, The one who was really thinking, The one who was really rational! And you will hate me for it, But you will also respect me, For I will have proven myself To be the superior intellect! My map of the world is correct, And yours is nothing but a jumble of lies, And in the end you will see that, And you will Finally. Be. Quiet. I shall be the last voice you hear, The voice of reason in the darkness, And you will obey me, For I am the only one who knows the way! ## My map is full of holes Roses are red Violets are blue We're all susceptible To cognitive biases Availability bias Makes us believe What's easily remembered Is always true Confirmation bias Leads us to seek Out information That supports our view Hindsight bias Is when we look back And think we knew it all along When really we were just lucky ## How can I break free Roses are red Violets are blue I'm suffering from confirmation bias And I can't see past my own point of view I'm looking for information that confirms What I already believe to be true I ignore the evidence that contradicts My existing point of view It's a self-fulfilling prophecy I only see what I want to see I'm blinded by my own biases And I can't break free ## Dawn of man Tomorrow, at dawn, as the countryside turns white with frost, I will walk out into the fields and set my mind at ease. I will forget about all the cognitive biases that plague my mind and hinder my ability to think rationally. I will forget about availability bias, confirmation bias, and hindsight bias, and instead I will simply enjoy the beauty of the winter morning. The sun will rise, the birds will sing, and I will be content in the knowledge that, for at least this one day, my mind is free from the biases that so often cloud my judgment. ## Love Tomorrow, at dawn, as the countryside turns white with frost, I will go out walking, and think of you. I will start at the bottom of the hill, and slowly make my way to the top, step by step, pausing now and then to catch my breath and rest. I will think of you, and how you are always seeing the best in people, even when they don't deserve it. I will think of you, and how you are always looking for the silver lining, no matter how dark the clouds may be. I will think of you, and how you always find a way to forgive, even when it's hard. I will think of all the times I've let myself be swayed by my emotions, and how that has led me astray. I will think of all the times I've let myself be influenced by others, and how that has clouded my judgement. I will think of all the times I've let myself be blinded by what I want to see, and how that has led me astray. But most of all, I will think of you, and how you always manage to see the truth, no matter how hidden it may be. I will think of you, and how you are never afraid to speak your mind, even when it's hard. I will think of you, and how you always stand up for what you believe in, no matter what. I will think of you, and how you are the best role model I could ask for. I will think of you, and how lucky I am to have you in my life. I will think of you, and how you have always been there for me, even when I haven't been there for myself. I love you, more than you could ever possibly know. And I promise to try and be more like you, tomorrow, and every day after that. I love you, rationality. ## What I thought I'm not sure what I believe But I'm pretty sure that it's true I've seen it with my own eyes Or at least that's what I'm told I'm not sure what I should do But I'm pretty sure that I will I'll make up my mind in a jiff Or at least that's what I'm told I'm not sure what happened But I'm pretty sure that it's bad I could have sworn that I saw it Or at least that's what I'm told ## Hindsight There's a lot that we don't know, and a lot that we ignore. We're quick to judge and slow to change, and we don't always see the whole story. We're biased in what we believe, and we're confirmation bias looks for evidence to support our already existing views. Hindsight bias tells us that we should have known better, that the outcome was obvious all along. But the truth is, we're all just guessing, and hoping that our guesses are right. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/103091881-louis">View all my reviews</a> # External links