[extropy-chat] examples of rational irrationalism

[Lee Corbin]

Stuart writes

> Well if you are engaged in a game (survival, stock
> market, tennis, parcheesi, it's all the same), the
> utility of any particular "move" is generally your
> "score".
> 
> A rational player is defined as a player who makes
> moves to raise ones score and draw closer to winning
> the game. To make moves intent on lowering ones score
> and losing the game is thereby irrational

I concur.  But too many people on this list refuse to use
our meanings of the word "rational", as in the good
example you've provided.

I'm afraid it's time to abandon ship.  Words are like ball-bearings
on a skating rink:  to get anywhere, you have to tread carefully and
be especially wary of putting too much weight on any one of them.

Lee

> UNLESS the
> game is a subgame of larger game and in the larger
> game one can raise ones "score" by "losing" the
> subgame.
> 
> I see no other "larger game" for the deathists except
> for the imaginary one where Allah or Gaia pat them on
> the head after they die.