Why We Can't Have Nice Things: Educating Those At Risk
"F*** you, paper author, you do not share my utility function."
Bingo. First comment wins.
I don't share the comment author's utility function either. That's the point.
Sexual activity is a nice thing. People are telling other people not to have this nice thing, by convincing them it would be bad, because it involves becoming At Risk. And That's Terrible. We need to teach people exactly how At Risk they are, by giving them sexual education that explains the risks, and then they'll only do it when it's appropriate!
Drinking is (according to many people's reports, anyway) a nice thing. People are telling other people not to have this nice thing, by convincing them it would be bad, because it involves becoming At Risk. And That's Terrible. We need to teach people exactly how At Risk they are, by giving them education that explains the risks, and then they'll only do it when it's appropriate!
Eating calorie-rich food is a nice thing. People are telling other people not to have this nice thing, by convincing them it would be bad, because it involves becoming At Risk. And That's Terrible. We need to teach people exactly how At Risk they are, by requiring calorie labeling, and then they'll only do it when it's appropriate!
The person you are trying to reach doesn't share your utility function. Given their utility function, better information will usually cause them to make better choices. If giving them better information doesn't cause them to make the choices you want them to make, perhaps they're not maximizing what you're maximizing.
Bingo. First comment wins.
I don't share the comment author's utility function either. That's the point.
Sexual activity is a nice thing. People are telling other people not to have this nice thing, by convincing them it would be bad, because it involves becoming At Risk. And That's Terrible. We need to teach people exactly how At Risk they are, by giving them sexual education that explains the risks, and then they'll only do it when it's appropriate!
Drinking is (according to many people's reports, anyway) a nice thing. People are telling other people not to have this nice thing, by convincing them it would be bad, because it involves becoming At Risk. And That's Terrible. We need to teach people exactly how At Risk they are, by giving them education that explains the risks, and then they'll only do it when it's appropriate!
Eating calorie-rich food is a nice thing. People are telling other people not to have this nice thing, by convincing them it would be bad, because it involves becoming At Risk. And That's Terrible. We need to teach people exactly how At Risk they are, by requiring calorie labeling, and then they'll only do it when it's appropriate!
The person you are trying to reach doesn't share your utility function. Given their utility function, better information will usually cause them to make better choices. If giving them better information doesn't cause them to make the choices you want them to make, perhaps they're not maximizing what you're maximizing.