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

[Harvey Newstrom]

"Lee Corbin" <lcorbin at rawbw.com> wrote,
> This is a classic question---don't think that I invented it!

No, I didn't think you inented it.  I meant that you keep asking it 
repeatedly, and refuse to accept my answer since it doesn't match your 
answer.

> Hmm, I don't think that a truly selfish person practiced and intent
> only on his own self-interest would have the least bit of trouble with 
> weighing the simple likely outcomes.

I don't think anybody would have trouble doing this.  You only think I am 
having trouble because my conclusions are different than yours.

> So suspicious! Always worried about what a "yes" may lead to, eh?
> I wonder if you were this way *before* taking up your line of work  :-)

No, you keep making this unfounded assertion, and I keep denying it.  It's 
not suspicion, it's tiredness and time constraints.  I am wondering where 
this conversation is going and how much longer it will take.

> <sigh>, Merely trying to defend my claim above that we
> genuine altruists frequently do *not* act in our own self-interest,
> and have no intention of "correcting" the situation.

I agree that this is often true for most people.  But why are you so intent 
on proving that it is true for me?  I have explained my rationale 
repeatedly.  I don't see where my analysis is wrong in my situation.  But 
even if  my calculations are wrong, can't you see that I am still choosing 
the best-self interest as I have calculated them?  Or that I would choose 
your answers if I believed your calculations were correct?

> But yes, I am indeed arguing that cheating under circumstances
> where it is exceedingly unlikely anyone will know, defecting when
> one cannot be caught at it, and never being the last to reciprocate,
> are all in the person's best interest, modulo the obvious torments of
> conscience in those of us that have them.

I agree with your argument completely for most people.  But I am not like 
most people.

- As I get better known on the internet and in my career, I am more likely 
to get recognized in these "anonymous" situations you describe.
- As I make more and more money, the value of skipping a tip becomes less 
and less.
- As I travel more on business, and keep getting called to random locations 
and restaurants, I am even more likely to have to return to a specific city 
or restaurant than ever.
- As I become more rich and famous, the risk of strangers being able to come 
forward with a story of how I cheated them becomes more likely and damaging.
- As I learn more about ubiquitous surveillence, the change of me secretly 
being watched is growing all the time.

Even if your proposition is true for some, it could be less so for me.  And 
even if it is true for me in some cases, that likelihood is decreasing all 
the time.

--
Harvey Newstrom <www.HarveyNewstrom.com>
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