Posted by:
East Coast Exmo
(
)
Date: December 07, 2017 12:55PM
In a perfect world I would agree with you, Steve. And I personally like to do as you suggest. However, in a non-cooperative environment, always doing the "right thing" will get you eaten by opponents who choose not to do so.
Here's a quick intro on strategies for the "iterated prisoner's dilemma":
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner%27s_dilemma#Strategy_for_the_iterated_prisoner.27s_dilemmaIn a world where everyone has a conscience and is willing to cooperate in some form, doing the right thing is the best move. However, when the world is full of narcissists, sociopaths, psychopaths and other predators in positions of power, realpolitik is the only way to avoid getting conquered and enslaved.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RealpolitikThis doesn't mean that one has to be manipulative and Machiavellian. A strategy of "tit for tat with forgiveness" tends to work well and rewards cooperation.
Once medical and psychological testing get good enough, perhaps we can put bright red tattoos on the foreheads of certain dangerous individuals so that others aren't fooled. "Poor impulse control" (thanks to Neal Stephenson for that one), "Low empathy", "Emotional disregulation", "History of sexual predation". That might make the world safer for the rest of us.