Comments on: Hide Death? http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/01/what-hide-if-not-death.html Overcoming Bias is economist Robin Hanson’s blog, on honesty, signaling, disagreement, forecasting, and the far future. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:09:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: TGGP http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/01/what-hide-if-not-death.html#comment-442166 TGGP Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:49:12 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21704#comment-442166 How about "War is a Racket"? It was written by Major General Smedley Butler. How about “War is a Racket”? It was written by Major General Smedley Butler.

]]> By: Tim Tyler http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/01/what-hide-if-not-death.html#comment-442134 Tim Tyler Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:45:18 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21704#comment-442134 You asked which truths were worth hiding. Nick's "information hazards" paper is all about when it is worth hiding the truth. Have you worked through his lists? You asked which truths were worth hiding. Nick’s “information hazards” paper is all about when it is worth hiding the truth. Have you worked through his lists?

]]> By: Chris Hallquist http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/01/what-hide-if-not-death.html#comment-442130 Chris Hallquist Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:32:14 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21704#comment-442130 Robin: *obviously* a huge part of why we're not frank about everything is selfish reasons. Even if I thought I would be making the universe a better place by being frank about everything, that's a larger sacrifice than I'm willing to make. Robin: *obviously* a huge part of why we’re not frank about everything is selfish reasons. Even if I thought I would be making the universe a better place by being frank about everything, that’s a larger sacrifice than I’m willing to make.

]]> By: Eneasz http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/01/what-hide-if-not-death.html#comment-442056 Eneasz Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:09:04 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21704#comment-442056 I wasn't frank about war after my brother joined the army. I didn't send him a copy of War Is A Force That Gives Us Meaning, as it could do harm. I wasn’t frank about war after my brother joined the army. I didn’t send him a copy of War Is A Force That Gives Us Meaning, as it could do harm.

]]> By: Anshuman http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/01/what-hide-if-not-death.html#comment-442054 Anshuman Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:40:00 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21704#comment-442054 Robin, you <em>do</em> look fat in that dress. Robin, you do look fat in that dress.

]]> By: Robin Hanson http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/01/what-hide-if-not-death.html#comment-442035 Robin Hanson Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:32:33 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21704#comment-442035 People seem to be missing the point that I was trying to focus on <em>comparing</em> being frank about death to being frank about other things. If you say we should be frank about death, and death is on the face of it a pretty good case for hiding, then why don't you think we should be frank about <em>everything</em>? People seem to be missing the point that I was trying to focus on comparing being frank about death to being frank about other things. If you say we should be frank about death, and death is on the face of it a pretty good case for hiding, then why don’t you think we should be frank about everything?

]]> By: Tim Tyler http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/01/what-hide-if-not-death.html#comment-442034 Tim Tyler Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:31:06 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21704#comment-442034 "Although nobody makes a brief for ignorance generally, there are many special cases in which ignorance is cultivated - in order, for example, to protect national security, sexual innocence, jury impartiality; to preserve anonymity for patients, clients, reviewers, and voters; to create suspense in films and novels; to protect trade secrets; to measure the placebo effect and avoid various research biases; and to create mental challenges for gaming and study." - http://www.nickbostrom.com/information-hazards.pdf “Although nobody makes a brief for ignorance generally, there are many special cases in which ignorance is cultivated – in order, for example, to protect national security, sexual innocence, jury impartiality; to preserve anonymity for patients, clients, reviewers, and voters; to create suspense in films and novels; to protect trade secrets; to measure the placebo effect and avoid various research biases; and to create mental challenges for gaming and study.”

– http://www.nickbostrom.com/information-hazards.pdf

]]> By: Hal Finney http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/01/what-hide-if-not-death.html#comment-442030 Hal Finney Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:07:33 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21704#comment-442030 This New York Times article, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/20/health/20doctors.html , offers a look at the issues facing doctors when they tell patients they are dying. As Seth says above, patients are sometimes unwilling and more or less unable to process the news. The article implies that sometimes the doctors leave it at that, and allow patients to cling to false hope if it brings them comfort. I don't know how that squares with the perception that doctors today always deliver the brutal truth. This New York Times article, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/20/health/20doctors.html , offers a look at the issues facing doctors when they tell patients they are dying. As Seth says above, patients are sometimes unwilling and more or less unable to process the news. The article implies that sometimes the doctors leave it at that, and allow patients to cling to false hope if it brings them comfort. I don’t know how that squares with the perception that doctors today always deliver the brutal truth.

]]> By: curious http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/01/what-hide-if-not-death.html#comment-442029 curious Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:54:16 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21704#comment-442029 <blockquote>So isn’t imminent death a great examples of a truth that makes folks feel very bad without much helping decisions?</blockquote> not really. a patient who doesn't really know s/he is dying is deprived of the opportunity to make informed decisions about how much treatment s/he needs/wants to endure. doctors themselves say that terminal patients choosing aggressive treatments often don't even <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/health/12seco.html?pagewanted=2" rel="nofollow">realize that they're dying</a> and regret their choices later.

So isn’t imminent death a great examples of a truth that makes folks feel very bad without much helping decisions?

not really. a patient who doesn’t really know s/he is dying is deprived of the opportunity to make informed decisions about how much treatment s/he needs/wants to endure.

doctors themselves say that terminal patients choosing aggressive treatments often don’t even realize that they’re dying and regret their choices later.

]]> By: mjgeddes http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/01/what-hide-if-not-death.html#comment-441985 mjgeddes Mon, 01 Feb 2010 07:44:35 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=21704#comment-441985 "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I've watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain. Time to die" <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTzA_xesrL8" rel="nofollow">I've seen things</a> “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I’ve watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain. Time to die”

I’ve seen things

]]>