It seems to me that the resolution to the apparent paradox is that nerds are interested in all the details of their domain, but the outcome that they tend to look for are high-level abstractions. Even in settings like fandoms, there is a big push towards massive theories that entails every little detail about the story.
Though defining rationalist community as a sort of community of meta-nerds who apply this nerd approach to almost anything doesn’t seem too off the mark.
It seems to me that the resolution to the apparent paradox is that nerds are interested in all the details of their domain, but the outcome that they tend to look for are high-level abstractions. Even in settings like fandoms, there is a big push towards massive theories that entails every little detail about the story.
Though defining rationalist community as a sort of community of meta-nerds who apply this nerd approach to almost anything doesn’t seem too off the mark.