聰明人最容易掉的坑：用華麗理論為醜陋藉口辯護

Have you noticed that those who are most eloquent and persuasive are often the ones most likely to use a seemingly airtight set of logic to defend an obviously bad act?

This is no coincidence. Vitalik recently pointed out a sobering truth: The smarter you are, the more you need to impose “stupid rules” on yourself. Otherwise, high intelligence will only become the best tool for self-deception.

How the Smart Pack Lies as Truth

Imagine these scenarios:

A tech giant lays off 30%, officially saying, “We are transferring high-quality talent to society to optimize human resource allocation.”

A project team issues air coins, claiming it is “empowering the global economy through decentralized governance.”

An AI researcher rapidly advances immature technology, reasoning that “If I don’t do it, others will; this is an inevitable trend in history, I am just going with the flow.”

This is what Vitalik calls the “Galactic Brain” phenomenon—using high-level mental gymnastics to package irrational acts as grand truths.

The problem is, this logical framework itself is like a bottomless pit. As long as you extend the timeline long enough and depict the “ultimate goal” grandly enough, any current wrongdoing can be rationalized by “future benefits.”

The Trap of “Long-termism”

“Long-termism” is one of the most easily abused excuses today.

A high-resistance argument is: “This tree will grow 5 meters taller in 10 years”—which is concrete and verifiable.

A low-resistance “long-termism” is: “Although I am doing something extremely immoral now, in 500 years humanity can live utopia-style, and the total happiness in the future is infinite, so the sacrifices now are negligible.”

Do you understand? As long as you extend the scale far enough, you can find a justification for any harm done today. As Vitalik said: “If your reasoning can justify anything as legitimate, then your reasoning proves nothing.”

The Responsibility Dissolution Technique of “Necessitarianism”

Another frequently used excuse is “necessitarianism.” Silicon Valley especially loves this.

The rhetoric is: “AI replacing jobs is an inevitable part of history; since it’s inevitable, I don’t need to be responsible for the destruction caused.”

Sounds convincing, right? But in reality, this is just packaging personal greed (I want to make money, I want power) as “fulfilling a historical mission.” Responsibility instantly evaporates.

The Surprisingly Simple Cure

Vitalik’s proposed solution is very “stupid,” but precisely because it’s stupid, it’s the most effective.

First, return to “deontological” morality—the kindergarten-level ironclad rules:

• Do not steal
• Do not kill innocents
• Do not scam
• Respect others’ freedom

Why are these rules highly resistant? Because they are black-and-white, with no gray areas. When you try to justify embezzling user funds with grand theories of “financial revolution,” the rigid rule of “don’t steal” directly slaps you in the face: stealing is stealing.

Second, change your “positions” and environment.

Your butt determines your brain. If you spend every day in a circle with a uniform way of thinking, constantly hearing the same voices, your judgment will be subtly eroded. Vitalik even offers a physical-level suggestion: don’t stay long in highly homogenous environments.

What Truly Defines Wisdom

The core warning of this article is: don’t think that just because you are smart, you can break through simple moral bottom lines.

Those theories that sound grand and can explain everything are often the most dangerous excuses. Conversely, the rules that sound rigid and dogmatic are the last line of defense against self-deception.

True wisdom is not about being able to justify oneself with complex logic, but about self-awareness—knowing when to abandon clever tricks and adhere to simple, fundamental wisdom.