Eliezer Yudkowsky claims, that rationalists strive for 12 virtues. In my opinion, these rational virtues condradict our demands on our politicians.
- Curiosity
- Rationalists exchange ignorance for knowledge.
- Politicians are not allowed to show ignorance.
- Relinquishment
- Rationalists seek experiences, which question their own opinions.
- Politicians must seek experiences, allowing them to better defend their opinion (Confirmation Bias).
- Lightness
- Rationalists betray their own opinion as soon as possible in favor of new facts.
- Politicians, who change their minds are known as fickle.
- Evenness
- Rationalists treat all the facts even, no matter what opinion they stand for.
- Politicians may only give little attention to facts contradicting their directive.
- Argument
- Rationalists strive for absolute honesty in conversation. It’s not about fairness, the truth is not equally distributed.
- Politicians have to make compromises and promote their cause instead of the truth.
- Empiricism
- Rationalists stick to the facts and do not care about phrasings.
- Politicians have to try to embarrass political opponents.
- Simplicity
- Rationalists simplify everything, as far as possible.
- Politicians have to deliver extravagant speeches with complex phrasings in order to avoid (malicious) misunderstandings.
- Humility
- Rationalists always remember, how many mistakes they make and don’t compare themselves with others.
- Politicians have to face the public in the best possible light.
- Perfectionism
- Rationalists seek to meet the highest standards.
- Politicians are happy just to be better than the competition.
- Precision
- Rationalists try to narrow down their statements as accurately as possible.
- Politicians consider it usefult to remain vague, in order to weasel themselves out later.
- Scholarship
- Rationalists try to learn in as many areas as possible.
- Politicians specialize in a few subject areas.
- The Void.
- Rationalists consider it most important to always go to the bottom of things. The map should always reflect the terrain.
- Politicians consider votes as truth enough. Votes are both the terrain and map.
A politician who wants to be rational, gets into a conflict between rational virtues and political success. Successful politicians must not be overly rational, but instead have to popularize and rationalize.
This is all exaggerated, but you get get the gist of the problem: Is the way, the media and we voters treat our leaders a good idea?
Twelve Virtues of Rationality – Eliezer Yudkowsky
Mellrichstadt, Deutschland 
Ich glaube du hast festgestellt das PolitikerRationalisten. Oder anders formuliert: Innerhalb der Menschheit gibt es die Menge der Rationalisten und der Politiker, allerdings scheint es da keine Schnittmenge zu geben.
Anderer Punkt:
A.) Es gibt eine Gruppe von Leuten die aufgrund ihres Studiums, Erfahrung und Begabung auf einem Fachgebiet für eine politischen Posten prädestiniert sind.
B.) Es gibt eine Gruppe von Leuten die aufgrund ihres unbedingten Willens, ihrer Selbstdarstellung, aus politischen Kalkül und reiner Machtgier einen politischen Posten wollen.
Ich habe manchmal den Eindruck die (deutschen) Bundespolitik besteht aus Menge B und bis zur Kreisliga mischt sich zunehmend Menge A dazu ….
2 Vermutungen zur Gruppe B:
Daraus folgt: Introvertierte Politiker sind genauso selten wie Politiker mit ausgiebiger Lebenserfahrung, also vielen Rückschlägen.
Mein Punkt ist halt, dass unsere Ansprüche an unsere Politiker mit Schuld daran sind.
[...] Atomkraft und Rationalität [...]