Finding a 25 Percent Better Partner

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About

Finding a 25% Better Partner refers to a series of jokes and memes parodying a post in which AI researcher and rationalist Eliezer Yudkowsky argues for partners being able to reserve an option for break up if they find meet who suits them better, agreeing on the minimum percentage of "better" in advance. The discourse went viral on X / Twitter in early February 2024.

Origin

On February 4th, 2024, rationalist Eliezer Yudkowsky wrote on X^[1] / Twitter that "in a world of greater legibility" romantic partners would discuss the option for breaking up if one found a prospective partner who suited them better by a certain percentage. The post (shown below) garnered over 2.2 million views, 830 reposts and quote posts, and 430 likes in 10 days.

Eliezer Yudkowsky @ESYudkowsky. Feb 4 in a world of greater legibility, romantic partners would have the conversation about "I'd trade up if I found somebody 10%/25%/125% better than you" in advance, and make sure they have common knowledge of the numbers 380 1835 口企 Eliezer Yudkowsky @ESYudkowsky. Feb 4 (Marriage makes sense as a promise not to do that period; but if so, you want to make sure that both partners are on the same page about that. Not everyone assumes that marriage means that.) CI 17 184 ili 130K 21 Eliezer Yudkowsky @ESYudkowsky Her: I am never, ever letting you go unless I find someone 75% better. Me: Works for me. . 430 ılı 2.2M 9:00 PM Feb 4, 2024 108.9K Views ● 口企 :

Spread

On February 5th, 2024, X^[2] user @RuxandraTeslo posted a screenshot of the post, commenting, "This is such a cursed worldview." The post received over 280 reposts and 3,600 likes in nine days.

Starting on February 5th, users on X contributed to the discourse, posting arguments along with jokes and memes. For example, on that day X^[3] user @SCHIZO_FREQ made a humorous post that received over 20 reposts and 610 likes in nine days (shown below, left). Also that day, X^[4] user @visakanv made a post that garnered over 170 reposts and 3,000 likes in the same period (shown below, right).

Lukas (computer) @SCHIZO_FREQ If you ever find somebody 1% better than your wife you should divorce her immediately for the new girl. "Love" and "commitment" are demonic lies spread by satan to prevent you from achieving a beautiful new wife who's 1% better 4:55 PM Feb 5, 2024 · 20K Views

M Visakan Veerasamy @visakanv I trade up for a 10% better wife every year, she just happens to be the same human I started dating 20 years ago Meanwhile I keep hearing from people people who underestimated the switching costs when you're trying to migrate your meaning ecosystem to a whole new partner : Eliezer Yudkowsky in a world of greater legibility, romantic partners would have the conversation about "I'd trade up if I found somebody 10%/25% /125% better than you" in advance, and make sure they have common knowledge of the numbers @ESYudkowsky Feb 4 · 2:09 AM Feb 5, 2024 · 327.1K Views .

More posts referencing the discourse were posted on X in the following weeks. For example, on February 6th, 2024, X^[5] user @MostlyMonkey posted a Freedom of Speech meme that received over 100 reposts and 2,200 likes in eight days (shown below, left). On February 8th, X^[6] user @IvyAstrix posted a Valentine's Day E-Card meme that received over 20 reposts and 220 likes in six days (shown below, right).

Overeducated Gibbon @MostlyMonkey You shouldn't feel the urge to abandon the woman who has built her life with yours, even if a 79% "better" woman comes along. 9:34 PM Feb 6, 2024 190.1K Views NUAL REPORT TOWN

i love you more than someone 125% better to: from:

Various Examples

ourania, Melon maxxi @ouranor • Feb 12 Okay, so I want the advice Hey, my subordinate just told me they have a crush on me. I'm married 1.9K 231K ₁ 126 24 semi fungible individual @CyrusOfHearts Is your subordinate at least 25% better than your current wife? ●●● 1:49 PM Feb 12, 2024 · 24.6K Views

RK (Kate) @rk_wiggs there was a Matt Bruenig comment where he once said something like "if you're married, the idea of looking for a better wife to replace your wife should seem as weird as looking for a better brother to replace your brother" & I think that's basically the ideal Cartoons Hate Her! @CartoonsHateHer Feb 7 Re: finding someone xyz% better than your spouse, I think once you're legally married you have to accept that you may meet someone 500% better than your partner and you are obligated to ignore that person and stay with your partner especially if you have kids. : 11:14 AM. Feb 7, 2024 284.9K Views

M @promisebender He found someone 25% better than you Esplin Daniel @growing_daniel. Feb 7 did he do a mass block or am I special B) Eliezer Yudkowsky @ESYudkowsky P(B) You're blocked You can't follow or see @ESYudkowsky's posts. Learn more 4:50 AM. Feb 7, 2024 577 Views ... : ...

wanye @wanyeburkett OK, here's the thing about this discourse: the reason I can't find somebody 20% or 50% or even 1000% "better" than my wife is that she's the mother of my children, which is worth infinite points. Absent children, nobody cares what you do. :

Béatrice Leydier @BeaLeydier why would you dump your partner for someone 25% better when you can just slowly nag them into becoming 25% better like a normal person 10:39 PM. Feb 5, 2024 · 116.5K Views

Search Interest

External References

^[1] X – @ESYudkowsky

^[2] X – @RuxandraTeslo

^[3] X – @SCHIZO_FREQ

^[4] X – @visakanv

^[5] X – @MostlyMonkey

^[6] X – @IvyAstrix

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Top Comments

Helipilot47

Feb 13, 2024 at 10:33PM EST

Ah yes, because you can famously put a specific number on a human being's quality and treat emotional relationships like a product to be traded.

This is the most traderbro brained thing I've read in a while, and I genuinely can't understand how you get to this point as a human being.

+30

big_king_smegma

Feb 13, 2024 at 11:16PM EST

I dunno about you, but I love taking relationship advice from the guy who decided to turn write a manifesto in the form of a Harry Potter fanfic where an 11-year-old Malfoy floats the possibility of raping Hermione.