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pazodetrasalba · 7 months

Text

Truthiness

Dear Caroline:

In this entry fo yours you were not only being contrarian, but quite covertly utilitarian, which you actually clarify in an answer two days later (the existence of America in its current form has probably been good for the world and thus Columbus’s impact on the world seems positive). What this actually brought to my mind, though, was not anything related to the discovery of the New World, or to the books on this topic you might have read or wanted to read, but rather to the recent and scandalous depiction you made about Sam's belief system: "he was a utilitarian who wasn’t bothered by lying or stealing so long as what he did created the greatest good for the greatest number of people".

I think this in an adequate description, and harks back to Sam's upbringing in a strictly utilitarian background. More than any possible EA, he would be a good example of a 'pure consequentialist', who feels that any and all deontological principles and rules are just superstitions, the chains of past, old and lazy people, and ineffective anyway at the only thing that matters: maximizing utility. It is a cautionary lesson on how dangerous it is for any human to subordinate everything to just one principle, to the exclusion of all the rest. And this will always be terrible, among other things, because we are too complex and rich to be straitjacketed into a single formula or goal.

I believe you were totally truthful in your testimony, but truth is a complicated thing, and it encompasses not only what is said, but what is not. If the defense attorney had been more clued-up, he might have inquired if you yourself hadn't been a consequentialist before meeting Sam, and hadn't held to the belief that actions are to be morally judged by their effects, not by intentions or rules. Both your blog and EA's principles lean heavily in this direction, even if for the most part they would fit under some form of 'rules-based utilitarianism', but one can always suspect that rules that are acquiesced to just because they seem to satisfy some bs utilitarian, long-term calculation can just as easily be defeated by another one is sufficiently talked through and rationalized.

I think I mentioned that these days I am reading the other Joe Henrich book, which you didn't get to peruse yet, and I feel tempted to extrapolate his views of cumulative cultural evolution on yourself. Before Alameda, your cultural package included some Trad values, practices and beliefs embedded not without conflicts and contradictions within a Rationalist and EA framework. Your move to the Bay led to a progressive change in this regard, with you adopting what you perceived must have been a superior cultural package possessed by the higher-status 'Pure Rationalists' at the core of the movement, and by Sam, the successful finance genius. And this is probably why polyamory and a turn towards pure utilitarian +EV creeped in deeper and more powerfully within your psyche.

It is a pity that these letters don't conform a bijection, with the inverse function of your words lacking. It would be very interesting to know how you stand now with regard to some of what were your core values and beliefs in the not so distant past.

Quote: idk just that while Columbus was a dick and kind of caused a genocide, the existence of America in its current form has probably been good for the world and thus Columbus’s impact on the world seems positive

Caroline Ellison

#caroline ellison #utilitarianism #truth

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nejiraez · 4 years

Text

pretty face | bakugou katsuki

genre: fluff

summary: “you’re really pretty” | flattering bakugou is never easy. he doesn’t crack under the pressure of compliments. but his s/o comes around to change that

a prompt for the @bnhabookclub event! click here to read more about it/join! they’re still taking applications~

word count: 1,120

"Get out of my room."

You stood at the doorway of Bakugou's dorm with your jaw slack. A full second hasn't even passed by before he was already shooing you away from his presence. But then again, it was Bakugou that you were dealing with.

"I'm not in your room," you challenge. The frame of his door supports your weight as you lean against it, all while you ignore the pointed stare he levels you with behind his phone.

The point of your shoes hasn't crossed over that imaginary line that Bakugou claimed as his space. Thus in a stubborn, childish way, you were right.

Seeing that you weren't going to leave him alone anytime soon, Bakugou sucks in a sharp breath through his nose and turns his attention back towards his phone. "Do you thrive off bothering me?" He asks. "Is that it?"

"I can't come in and check on my boyfriend?"

"No."

There's a fine line between sarcasm and bluntness that resides within Bakugou. For some, it would be hard to detect which he was using and if you weren't observant enough, you'd miss it. But being in a relationship with Bakugou made it easier for you to catch his social cues and pick up on his use of sarcasm.

"Oh well..." All previous demands that Bakugou made for you to not enter his dorm were chucked out the window once you waltzed inside.

He clicks his tongue at your bratty nature and flits his attention back towards the line he was last on for the article he was reading.

Even though he couldn't see you, Bakugou could tell that you've got this big, dumb smile on your face due to the stray giggles that bubbled out past your lips.

"I missed you," you say, reaching a hand up towards his face to card your fingers through his ash-blond hair despite his ineffective attempts at swatting you away. "You've been holed up in your room ever since we got back from class."

Bakugou hesitates once your fingertips caress his scalp, he tries to glower at the abundant affection that you were giving him. But his actions were futile, for he allows himself to bask into your touch a bit while watches you ease yourself down onto his mattress.

"I'm fine," he says, slipping his phone into his pocket. He shifts up the bed and makes room for you. "I was gonna come down later anyway, so there's no need for you to be here."

"But I want to be!"

The curtains to his room were drawn open, which allowed for some of the Sun's late afternoon glow to spill into his room. It illuminated the place with a soft and inviting orange.

Scooching your way further onto the bed, you sit alongside Katsuki. He's quiet for a second and it's at this moment when you take the time to absorb Bakugou's appearance.

From his creamlike skin- which was passed down onto him from his mother's quirk- to his striking eyes that held the loveliest shade of red was enough to snap you to the reality of how dashing your boyfriend was. With his features relaxed and no trace of a scowl on his face, he looked handsome. He always did but catching him in the current state that he was in always messed with your mind.

There's a comfortable stillness that rests in the air. You seemed to be satisfied with curling your digits through his hair and your blatant form of checking him out. But for Bakugou, your attention was too damn much. His heart was almost hammering against his chest, begging to be heard.

Judging that your stare that was lingering on him for too long now, Bakugou's scarlet eyes catch yours and his expression twists into one of pure confusion. "What?" He grunts with a flat tone.

You shake your head and exhale a gentle, content sigh. "It's nothing," you say. The palm of your hand smooths back the few strands of hair that clung to his forehead. There's a slow and steady rose tint hue that crawls up his neck and the warmth of his skin burns under your touch. "It's just that... You're really pretty," you admit.

There it was.

Words that were so simple, yet foreign to Bakugou.

Of course, people would praise his looks and whatnot but it'd always come in the form of a backhanded compliment. 'He's handsome... but that attitude of his...' He became tired of it. Flattery wouldn't do much for people if 'cozying up' to Bakugou was their main goal.

But for such words of admiration to come from you was a whole new ball game. They held meaning and were genuine, from the heart.

Bakugou swallows down the lump in his throat and scrunches up his face at the word. "Cut that out," he protests, his voice wavering in the slightest. "I'm not 'pretty'."

You release a chorus of 'aww's' at his distant behaviour and stretch out your arms to coddle him.

Yeah, that's enough of that.

Bakugou swings his legs off from his bed and leverages himself up, he needed to get the fuck out of there before you could tease him on your successful task at getting him flustered.

Laughing, you tug Katsuki back down and envelop your arms across his torso. "What face are you making?" You exclaim, smoothing down the lines that creased his forehead. Low grumbles reverberated across his chest that you could feel from the embrace. "Was that too much?"

You loved seeing him like this. And the fact that you were the root of why he was acting this way made the reward ten times better. He behaved like a troubled child at times, especially when he didn't want you to see him embarrassed.

"It's..." Bakugou breathes, focusing his glare on a remote object on his desk, "Whatever. I don't care."

Your objective for coming up into his room was still unclear to him. It made no sense, but that was just the way you worked. You confused Bakugou at times, even he was still trying to figure you out.

Everything was so new to him, being in a relationship and all. He was still finding his way around. There were times when he'd question why it was the mundane things that you did, something that shouldn't be heavily dwelled over, sent his emotions into havoc.

No matter the walls he had built to keep his sentiments at bay or the number of times that he'd resist outwardly succumbing to your beguiling ways, Bakugou would be lying if he said that your affection didn't hold any impact on him whatsoever.

That you didn't affect him.

Because you always will.

#bnhabookclub #bakugou katsuki #bakugou katsuki x reader #bakugou x reader #bnha #mha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #bnha imagine #bnha scenario

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