“When you think of intelligence, don't think of a college professor; think of human beings as opposed to chimpanzees. If you don't have human intelligence, you're not even in the game.” IfsThinkingHumansGamesHuman BeingsCollegeProfessorsChimpanzeesHuman IntelligenceCollege Professors Author:Eliezer Yudkowsky
“We tend to see individual differences instead of human universals. Thus, when someone says the word 'intelligence,' we think of Einstein instead of humans.” ThinkingHumansIndividualDifferencesIndividual Differences Author:Eliezer Yudkowsky
“If you've been cryocrastinating, putting off signing up for cryonics "until later", don't think that you've "gotten away with it so far". Many worlds, remember? There are branched versions of you that are dying of cancer, and not signed up for cryonics, and it's too late for them to get life insurance.” IfsThinkingWorldRememberDyingLateCancerVersionsToo LateSigningSigning Up Author:Eliezer Yudkowsky
“My experience is that journalists report on the nearest-cliche algorithm, which is extremely uninformative because there aren't many cliches, the truth is often quite distant from any cliche, and the only thing you can infer about the actual event was that this was the closest cliche. It is simply not possible to appreciate the sheer awfulness of mainstream media reporting until someone has actually reported on you. It is so much worse than you think.” ThinkingMediaEventsTruth IsAppreciateJournalistReportsMainstreamClosestSheerClicheAlgorithmsMainstream MediaAwfulness Author:Eliezer Yudkowsky
“I don't want to rule the universe. I just think it could be more sensibly organised.” ThinkingWantUniverseOrganised Author:Eliezer Yudkowsky
“- With respect, Professor McGonagall, I'm not quite sure you understand what I'm trying to do here. - With respect, Mr. Potter, I'm quite sure I don't. Unless - this is a guess, mind - you're trying to take over the world? - No! I mean yes - well, NO! - I think i should perhaps be alarmed that you have trouble answering the question.” ThinkingWorldShouldTryingMindWellsMeanTroubleProfessorsPottersMcgonagallProfessor Mcgonagall Author:Eliezer Yudkowsky
“Do not flinch from experiences that might destroy your beliefs. The thought you cannot think controls you more than thoughts you speak aloud. Submit yourself to ordeals and test yourself in fire. Relinquish the emotion which rests upon a mistaken belief, and seek to feel fully that emotion which fits the facts.” ThinkingFeelsFactsMightBeliefSpeakEmotionFireFitTestsSubmitMistakenOrdeals Author:Eliezer Yudkowsky
“I ask the fundamental question of rationality: Why do you believe what you believe? What do you think you know and how do you think you know it?” ThinkingKnowsBelieveAsksFundamentalsRationalityYou Think You Know Author:Eliezer Yudkowsky
“[...] intelligent people only have a certain amount of time (measured in subjective time spent thinking about religion) to become atheists. After a certain point, if you're smart, have spent time thinking about and defending your religion, and still haven't escaped the grip of Dark Side Epistemology, the inside of your mind ends up as an Escher painting.” PeopleIfsThinkingMindStillsEndsCertainSidesDarkHavensPaintingAmountSmartIntelligentAtheistSubjectiveDark SideEpistemologyTime SpentEscher Author:Eliezer Yudkowsky
“He'd met other prodigies in mathematical competitions. In fact he'd been thoroughly trounced by competitors who probably spent literally all day practising maths problems and who'd never read a science-fiction book and who would burn out completely before puberty and never amount to anything in their future lives because they'd just practised known techniques instead of learning to think creatively.” ThinkingBookFactsProblemFictionKnownAmountMetsScience FictionCompetitionMathTechniqueMathematicalCompetitorsPubertyBurn OutFuture LifeProdigiesMath Problems Author:Eliezer Yudkowsky
