From: mark@unicorn.com
Date: Tue Jul 07 1998 - 11:56:54 MDT
Robin Hanson [hanson@econ.berkeley.edu] wrote:
>Of course continuing this line of reasoning, we should observe that murder
>rates are a very small contribution to mortality rates. But people seem
>much more interested in talking about murder than about other mortality
>causes (e.g. no response to my "Why Do We Die?" thread). Similarly, people
>are much more interested in talking about gun laws than other influences
>on crime.
That was part of the point; why are people so hung up on banning guns when
they're such a small risk to the majority, and essential to the minority
who are most at risk of murder (poor inner-city dwellers)? The answer would
have to be that people are just extremely bad at judging risks, which is
one of the things I've been trying to point out in other threads, and one
of the skills that I think is important to a long-lived being.
Presumably this is -- as, I think, Dawkins pointed out -- because we've
evolved to judge risks which are relevant to our short lifespans and our
instincts are unable to deal with the risks in modern life. We treat
potential minor threats we can see -- like guns -- far more seriously
than serious threats that aren't as obvious.
Mark
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