avoiding that others use you as an authority

[Anontwo Too]

say you created a new idea (like tcs)
people see you as a leader

how do you avoid having people using you as an authority?

[Elliot Temple]

one thing you can do is trash your own authority, like Feynman did. contradict it, deny it, explain why you don't have it. do this *actively*. if you don't do it actively, that's not good enough.

you can also trash your authority by writing in lowercase, using the abbreviation "u", using simple words, and lots more. all these things help. you can even publish erotica on your blog. http://curi.us/1603-physics-is-fun

-- Elliot Temple
http://fallibleideas.com/

[Anontwo Too]

On Mon, Feb 17, 2014 at 11:03 PM, Elliot Temple <cu...@curi.us> wrote:
>
> On Feb 17, 2014, at 2:53 PM, Anontwo Too <anont...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> say you created a new idea (like tcs)
>> people see you as a leader
>>
>> how do you avoid having people using you as an authority?
>
> one thing you can do is trash your own authority, like Feynman did. contradict it, deny it, explain why you don't have it. do this *actively*. if you don't do it actively, that's not good enough.

do you think tcs leader especially should be careful to say "never
trust ppl who said they babysat my children"

> you can also trash your authority by writing in lowercase, using the abbreviation "u", using simple words, and lots more. all these things help. you can even publish erotica on your blog. http://curi.us/1603-physics-is-fun

lol
i remember that
i was very, very shocked at the time

[Elliot Temple]

On Feb 17, 2014, at 3:30 PM, Anontwo Too <anont...@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Mon, Feb 17, 2014 at 11:03 PM, Elliot Temple <cu...@curi.us> wrote:
>>
>> On Feb 17, 2014, at 2:53 PM, Anontwo Too <anont...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> say you created a new idea (like tcs)
>>> people see you as a leader
>>>
>>> how do you avoid having people using you as an authority?
>>
>> one thing you can do is trash your own authority, like Feynman did. contradict it, deny it, explain why you don't have it. do this *actively*. if you don't do it actively, that's not good enough.
>
> do you think tcs leader especially should be careful to say "never
> trust ppl who said they babysat my children"

umm, that's a bit specific. i dunno. i don't think they have to post that to a list. i could conceive of it being right for them to say that in some other context, but it doesn't jump out as me as the kind of thing they have to go around announcing.

>> you can also trash your authority by writing in lowercase, using the abbreviation "u", using simple words, and lots more. all these things help. you can even publish erotica on your blog. http://curi.us/1603-physics-is-fun
>
> lol
> i remember that
> i was very, very shocked at the time

That sounds amusing, want to elaborate?

[Anontwo Too]

On Mon, Feb 17, 2014 at 11:32 PM, Elliot Temple <cu...@curi.us> wrote:
>
> On Feb 17, 2014, at 3:30 PM, Anontwo Too <anont...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Mon, Feb 17, 2014 at 11:03 PM, Elliot Temple <cu...@curi.us> wrote:
>>>
>>> On Feb 17, 2014, at 2:53 PM, Anontwo Too <anont...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> say you created a new idea (like tcs)
>>>> people see you as a leader
>>>>
>>>> how do you avoid having people using you as an authority?
>>>
>>> one thing you can do is trash your own authority, like Feynman did. contradict it, deny it, explain why you don't have it. do this *actively*. if you don't do it actively, that's not good enough.
>>
>> do you think tcs leader especially should be careful to say "never
>> trust ppl who said they babysat my children"
>
> umm, that's a bit specific. i dunno. i don't think they have to post that to a list. i could conceive of it being right for them to say that in some other context, but it doesn't jump out as me as the kind of thing they have to go around announcing.

so if bad ppl use "i babysat the children of tcs leader" or "i'm long
friends with tcs leader" to hurt children it's not the fault of tcs
leader?

>>> you can also trash your authority by writing in lowercase, using the abbreviation "u", using simple words, and lots more. all these things help. you can even publish erotica on your blog. http://curi.us/1603-physics-is-fun
>>
>> lol
>> i remember that
>> i was very, very shocked at the time
>
> That sounds amusing, want to elaborate?

you want me to elaborate on why i was shocked?

[Elliot Temple]

On Feb 17, 2014, at 3:36 PM, Anontwo Too <anont...@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Mon, Feb 17, 2014 at 11:32 PM, Elliot Temple <cu...@curi.us> wrote:
>>
>> On Feb 17, 2014, at 3:30 PM, Anontwo Too <anont...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On Mon, Feb 17, 2014 at 11:03 PM, Elliot Temple <cu...@curi.us> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> On Feb 17, 2014, at 2:53 PM, Anontwo Too <anont...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> say you created a new idea (like tcs)
>>>>> people see you as a leader
>>>>>
>>>>> how do you avoid having people using you as an authority?
>>>>
>>>> one thing you can do is trash your own authority, like Feynman did. contradict it, deny it, explain why you don't have it. do this *actively*. if you don't do it actively, that's not good enough.
>>>
>>> do you think tcs leader especially should be careful to say "never
>>> trust ppl who said they babysat my children"
>>
>> umm, that's a bit specific. i dunno. i don't think they have to post that to a list. i could conceive of it being right for them to say that in some other context, but it doesn't jump out as me as the kind of thing they have to go around announcing.
>
> so if bad ppl use "i babysat the children of tcs leader" or "i'm long
> friends with tcs leader" to hurt children it's not the fault of tcs
> leader?

well it depends on context. like if that's a common scam that a TCS leader is aware of, then OK he should contradict. but if he's never heard of such a thing, no reason to contradict, you can't predict every scam.

>
>>>> you can also trash your authority by writing in lowercase, using the abbreviation "u", using simple words, and lots more. all these things help. you can even publish erotica on your blog. http://curi.us/1603-physics-is-fun
>>>
>>> lol
>>> i remember that
>>> i was very, very shocked at the time
>>
>> That sounds amusing, want to elaborate?
>
> you want me to elaborate on why i was shocked?

sure if you don't mind?

perhaps you could also say why you no longer find such things super shocking, how you changed your mind, something like that.


-- Elliot Temple
http://beginningofinfinity.com/

[Anontwo Too]

On Mon, Feb 17, 2014 at 11:42 PM, Elliot Temple <cu...@curi.us> wrote:
>
> On Feb 17, 2014, at 3:36 PM, Anontwo Too <anont...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Mon, Feb 17, 2014 at 11:32 PM, Elliot Temple <cu...@curi.us> wrote:
>>>
>>> On Feb 17, 2014, at 3:30 PM, Anontwo Too <anont...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Mon, Feb 17, 2014 at 11:03 PM, Elliot Temple <cu...@curi.us> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> On Feb 17, 2014, at 2:53 PM, Anontwo Too <anont...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> say you created a new idea (like tcs)
>>>>>> people see you as a leader
>>>>>>
>>>>>> how do you avoid having people using you as an authority?
>>>>>
>>>>> one thing you can do is trash your own authority, like Feynman did. contradict it, deny it, explain why you don't have it. do this *actively*. if you don't do it actively, that's not good enough.
>>>>
>>>> do you think tcs leader especially should be careful to say "never
>>>> trust ppl who said they babysat my children"
>>>
>>> umm, that's a bit specific. i dunno. i don't think they have to post that to a list. i could conceive of it being right for them to say that in some other context, but it doesn't jump out as me as the kind of thing they have to go around announcing.
>>
>> so if bad ppl use "i babysat the children of tcs leader" or "i'm long
>> friends with tcs leader" to hurt children it's not the fault of tcs
>> leader?
>
> well it depends on context. like if that's a common scam that a TCS leader is aware of, then OK he should contradict. but if he's never heard of such a thing, no reason to contradict, you can't predict every scam.

good point.

but say as current tcs leader you at one point had a babysitter for
your hypothetical children
there is a risk this babysitter brags "i babysat for the tcs leader
but don't tell her i told you about it because he'll get angry at me
that i violated the privacy of his children"
and all idiot second-handed parents who don't know philosophy and
think they get tcs want to hire her "oh, she babysat for elliot"
and they wouldn't know to tell you "hey, your stupid ex babysitter is
violating your kid's privacy and bragging she is the best" or to keep
the distance from the creature
it's mostly their fault their kids get hurt, but shouldn't you say
something if you knew someone hired her?
"hey, she wasn't a bad babysitter, but wasn't perfect either and i'm
concerned with her using my authority, it's a bad sign [explaining
why]"

>>>>> you can also trash your authority by writing in lowercase, using the abbreviation "u", using simple words, and lots more. all these things help. you can even publish erotica on your blog. http://curi.us/1603-physics-is-fun
>>>>
>>>> lol
>>>> i remember that
>>>> i was very, very shocked at the time
>>>
>>> That sounds amusing, want to elaborate?
>>
>> you want me to elaborate on why i was shocked?
>
> sure if you don't mind?

for some reason i had the impression you were very young at the time
so it sounded like david going all pedophile on you
it creeped me out

> perhaps you could also say why you no longer find such things super shocking, how you changed your mind, something like that.

well, this falls in "too specific"

a friend from FI helped me with private discussions

also i discovered die antwoord

they make offensive fun and artsy
also teach ppl to use offensive to defend themselves from bullies

they also helped in other aspects

when lady gaga invited them to open for her show
they made a video in reply to say no
they showed integrity by not giving a fuck to tag with an artist with
more fame than them
they did use her for fame by mocking her in their video but it was in
their own way

when die antwoord's label was pressuring them to be more mainstream
they left the label and created their own
they think they are the best and say it

my fav band from my teens, omd
are not like this
they brag about opening for depeche mode
they became more mainstream to stay with Virgin

i think there was a dose of d'anconia in omd at one point but they got corrupted

I caught some interviews where andy from omd was laughing at the
cheesy omd sound and at the pretentious sounding title of A&M and how
pretentious he was when young and bad stuff like that. i was like
"wtf, if the author of my favorite record speaks like that of it, what
defense do i have against hate?"

imagine ayn rand going "ah, the fountainhead, so cheesy, i wrote that
when i was young and pretentious."

ok, maybe this is outrageous to compare a pop band with ayn rand
but finding A&M for me was like whoa

and an author should not speak like that of their early work,
especially if it's good
they don't have to insult their youth or be afraid to be cheesy and pretentious
if an author has crits of their early work, fine. explain why, be
serious about it. change.

[Daniel Frank]

Hah, I just reread that and saw that you slipped in a dig about my penis size. I'd forgotten that! :)

PS: Let me know if quoting is messed up (or if it's not), posting from my phone. I think I decreased the right quote levels.

[Anontwo Too]

What phone? iOS does it very well and you messed it up. I fixed it now.

[Dan Frank]

Elliot told me that iOS 7 has a bug around attribution, and it looked
like that was true when I was writing my last email. On PC now, but
from what I can tell quoting was not decreased *enough*. What I did
was decrease the attribution quoting by 1 level. I think I should
have decreased it more. Y/N?

[Anontwo Too]

Y

it should have been one level down. the first "person wrote" line has no arrow.