Re: Toddler learning

From: Eliezer S. Yudkowsky (sentience@pobox.com)
Date: Sun May 19 2002 - 13:26:44 MDT


Dossy wrote:
>
> On 2002.05.19, Eliezer S. Yudkowsky <sentience@pobox.com> wrote:
> > I really don't think this is best taught through chores.
> > Chores are just going to be chores, onerous and unwished.
>
> You don't do your own laundry or cook your own meals, do you?
> I mean, as an adult, today.

Laundry? Sure. Cooking? If you consider the use of a microwave to be
cooking.

> How did you learn to do all these things on your own? Who
> are you helping, other than perhaps yourself? You think it's
> good to teach kids to be self-serving?

I think you don't *need* to teach kids to be self-serving. However, you
can't teach kids to be altruistic by making them take out the garbage. The
human mind just does not work that way, at least not in my experience. If
you want to create altruism, give the kids opportunities for self-willed
altruism, reward it when you see it, and don't be disappointed if you don't.

-- -- -- -- --
Eliezer S. Yudkowsky http://singinst.org/
Research Fellow, Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence



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