An opposition between altruism and selfishness seems important to Yud. 23-year-old Yud said “I was pretty much entirely altruistic in terms of raw motivations” and his Pathfinder fic has a whole theology of selfishness. His protagonists have a deep longing to be world-historical figures and be admired by the world. Dreams of controlling and manipulating people to get what you want are woven into his community like mould spores in a condemned building.

Has anyone unpicked this? Is talking about selfishness and altrusm common in LessWrong like pretending to use Bayesian statistics?

  • CinnasVerses@awful.systemsOP
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    1 day ago

    Selfishness sounds like it might be his way of thinking about some of this (I don’t think he could allow himself to think “I am a fundraiser and pulp writer and married with no other achievements” but I think he knows he likes to be adored and control things).

    When we get a proper history of this subculture, with names and dates and diagrams of the polycules and play parties and group homes, it is going to be wild.