[gooseus]

I've never thought ill of Scott Aaronson and have often admired him and his work when I stumble across it.

However, reading this article about all these people at their "Galt's Gultch", I thought — "oh, I guess he's a rhinoceros now"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhinoceros_(play)

Here's a bad joke for you all — What's the difference between a "rationalist" and "rationalizer"? Only the incentives.

[NoGravitas]

I have always considered Scott Aaronson the least bad of the big-name rationalists. Which makes it slightly funny that he didn't realize he was one until Scott Siskind told him he was.

[wizzwizz4]

Reminds me of Simone de Beauvoir and feminism. She wrote the book on (early) feminism, yet didn't consider herself a feminist until much later.

[dcminter]

Upvote for the play link - that's interesting and I hadn't heard of it before. Worthy of a top-level post IMO.

[gooseus]

I heard of the play originally from Chapter 10 of On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder:

https://archive.org/details/on-tyranny-twenty-lessons-from-t...

Which I did post top-level here on November 7th - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42071791

Unfortunately it didn't a lot of traction and dang told me that there wasn't a way to re-up or "second chance" the post due to the HN policy on posts "correlated with political conflict".

[dcminter]

Ah, I guess I see his point; I can't see the discussion being about use of metaphor in political fiction rather than whose team is worst.

Still, I'm glad I now know the reference.

[DrNosferatu]

«What's the difference between a "rationalist" and "rationalizer"? Only the incentives.»

Bad joke? That phrase should be framed in big print.