Consequences Human Quote by Eliezer Yudkowsky
““Human beings," said the Ship's Confessor, "cannot designate a 'current best candidate' without psychological consequences. Human rationalists learn to discuss an issue as thoroughly as possible before suggesting any solutions. For humans, solutions are sticky in a way that would require detailed cognitive science to explain. We would not be able to search freely through the solution space, but would be helplessly attracted toward the 'current best' point, once we named it. Also, any endorsement whatever of a solution that has negative moral features, will cause a human to feel shame - and 'best candidate' would feel like an endorsement. To avoid feeling that shame, humans must avoid saying which of two bad alternatives is better than the other.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “Coherent Extrapolated Volition” by Eliezer Yudkowsky, 2014
Human minds struggle to label a single optimal solution because doing so creates psychological bias and moral shame, limiting open exploration of alternatives.
In simple terms: Labeling a best option creates bias and shame, hindering free search.
Key Takeaway
Avoid declaring a single best among bad choices.
Themes
psychology
ethics
decision making
Mood
reflective
cautious
analytical
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- policy design
- AI alignment
- ethical deliberation
- group decision processes
- conflict resolution
Key Concepts
cognitive bias
moral psychology
solution space exploration
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we structure discussions to keep options truly open?
- What mechanisms reduce bias when evaluating imperfect solutions?
A Different Perspective
Humans may still feel pressure to pick a favorite even without explicit labeling.
