What Is This "Overthinking Everything" Stuff?

[David Sklansky]

I never advocated that. All I am saying is that in two cases, namely serious decisions, (should I take a much lower salary to avoid an abusive boss) or situations where you are attempting to convince others, it behooves you to search your mind for related positions you might hold to make sure there are no inconsistoncies that need to be ironed out first. Even if you think that its 90% that your instinctual first choice will be the one you stick with.

[SamIAm]

What's David's ratio of new threads to replies? It seems pretty damn high. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[chezlaw]

Its not overthinking that's the problem. but the claim that inconsistency is a big problem for the people that mistakenly don't bomb an abortion clinic, is kinda behooveless.

chez

[btmagnetw]

[ QUOTE ]
What's David's ratio of new threads to replies? It seems pretty damn high. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]i'm pretty sure his new thread count is inexplicably higher than his total post count.

[David Sklansky]

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Its not overthinking that's the problem. but the claim that inconsistency is a big problem for the people that mistakenly don't bomb an abortion clinic, is kinda behooveless.

chez

[/ QUOTE ]

I have to admit that, practically speaking, I could have found a better example to make my point.

[Phil153]

[ QUOTE ]
Its not overthinking that's the problem. but the claim that inconsistency is a big problem for the people that mistakenly don't bomb an abortion clinic, is kinda behooveless.

chez

[/ QUOTE ]
Not really. I don't think you're getting the essence of David's point.

Imagine there were clinics where parents could take unwanted teenage children and have them killed. Imagine that each clinic killed hundreds to thousands of teenagers a years, and there were thousands around the country. Imagine the government allowed this practice. Imagine the only way to stop it was to bomb these clinics.

You HAVE to believe that fetuses are not fully human (and in fact not much more worthy than animals) in order to not take drastic action against abortion clinics. Because most moral systems require action here if you believe fetuses are fully human. Just like it would be a shocking moral error to stand by while society allowed teenagers to be killed at the whim of their parents.

[goodgrief]

Philip K. Dick had a powerful story on this subject called "The Pre-persons."

[chezlaw]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Its not overthinking that's the problem. but the claim that inconsistency is a big problem for the people that mistakenly don't bomb an abortion clinic, is kinda behooveless.

chez

[/ QUOTE ]
Not really. I don't think you're getting the essence of David's point.


[/ QUOTE ]
I get the point and in mnay ways want to agree with but it doesn't stand up well in practice.

[ QUOTE ]
You HAVE to believe that fetuses are not fully human (and in fact not much more worthy than animals) in order to not take drastic action against abortion clinics. Because most moral systems require action here if you believe fetuses are fully human

[/ QUOTE ]See you say that and it makes sense but in practice that are millions who believe fetuses are fully human (and the rest of your premises) but the overwhelming majority don't take drastic action.

They don't NEED to have consistant beliefs because they don't act on them in a consistant way, possibly because they've learnt it doesn't work very well (which wouldn't be suprising when they start from such risible beliefs).

chez