[ExI] People are Genuine Altruists, Sociopaths, or Confused/Moody

[Lee Corbin]

Harvey writes

>>> It sounds like you understand my answer, but you don't believe it.  Trust 
>>> me, I don't care to give away my money for free to strangers I will never 
>>> see again.
>>
>> Actually so? You wouldn't leave a tip in a restaurant you were
>> certain never to visit again? I had inferred from the preceding
>> that you would.
> 
> Yes, but this is not giving my money away for free.  This is a fair purchase 
> of services.  I would only pay this tip after I have received good services 
> in advance.

This is rather frustrating. The whole idea *is* to skip out, to "defect",
once you have been granted the services, where it's given that *no*
bad result will ever accrue to you! We have not got to the point where
you explain exactly why---in the name of self-interest---you would pay.
Let's say that with perfect impunity you can leave that restaurant you'll
never visit again in that distant city that you'll never visit it again.
Explain to me how it is in your self-interest, under these conditions,
to leave a tip.

> I wouldn't stiff a server on a tip any more than I would skip 
> out on the bill itself or rob the cash register on my way out.

But many would do exactly that if it were posited---as it is here
---that they will never be caught and that they'll suffer no bad
effect as a result.

> I really don't see this as being the same as throwing away
> money.  ["*Why* not" is the question!]  I just don't feel 
> tempted to cheat people for a few measly dollars.

Why not? It is actually easier to get up and leave that it is
to reach in your pocket, surrender some extra cash, and leave.

> As I say, I don't consider tipping to be "genuine altruism" done
> just for the benefit of the server.  I do it to purchase services for 
> *me*.  So I don't see myself as this altruist you want to argue against.

I don't care what you are, I'll argue with you anyway.

You say that you are not this thing, (we could call it *altruist*,
but let's stay away from dangerous terms. You are still saying
that you would leave a tip in this case, and are doing for a
selfish reason?  (Or something like that?)

Lee