Making a great public display of doubt to convince yourself that you are a rationalist, will do around as much good as wearing a lab coat.
Are you sure it will do that much? Wearing a lab coat actually does increase perceptiveness (you can safely ignore everything before the experimental overview). If signaling rationality actually increases rationality, it may be useful after all. Considering that both the outward behaviors and the clothing operate through the same mechanism, namely associating oneself with that image, it’s likely that a great public display of doubt is indeed as useful as wearing a lab coat.
Are you sure it will do that much? Wearing a lab coat actually does increase perceptiveness (you can safely ignore everything before the experimental overview). If signaling rationality actually increases rationality, it may be useful after all. Considering that both the outward behaviors and the clothing operate through the same mechanism, namely associating oneself with that image, it’s likely that a great public display of doubt is indeed as useful as wearing a lab coat.