A characteristic feature of the effective altruism and rationalism communities is what I call “socialhacks”, or unusual tricks to optimize social or romantic activity, akin to lifehacks. Examples include
Monetary bounties for those who introduce someone to a potential romantic partner if they hit it off
A custom-printed T-shirt listing topics one enjoys discussing, their name, or a QR code to their website
Booking casual one-on-one calls using Calendly
Maintaining an anonymous feedback form
Reciprocity: a site where people can choose which others they would hang out with / date, and it only reveals the preference of the other party if they also want to do that activity
Lifehacks live in the fuzzy boundary between useful and non-useful: if an activity is not useful at all, it’s not a good lifehack, but if it’s too universally useful, it becomes common practice and no longer worthy of being called a “hack” (e.g. wearing a piece of cloth in between one’s foot and their shoe to make it easier to put on the shoe and reduce odor, i.e. socks).
Similarly, socialhacks are useful but live on the boundary between socially acceptable and unacceptable. They’re never unethical, but they are weird, which is why they’re only popular within open-minded, highly coordinated, and optimizing-mindset groups like EAs and rats. Some things would totally be considered socialhacks if they weren’t mainstream, like dating apps and alcohol.
I asked GPT-4 to generate ideas for new socialhacks. Here’s a curated list. Do you have any other ideas?
Hosting regular “speed friend-dating” events where participants have a limited time to talk to each other before moving on to the next person, helping to expand social circles quickly.
Using personalized business cards that include not only one’s contact information but also a brief description of their hobbies and interests to hand out to potential friends or romantic interests.
Developing a “personal brand” that highlights one’s unique qualities, interests, and strengths, making it easier for others to remember and connect with them.
Establishing a regular “friend check-in” routine, where you reach out to friends you haven’t spoken to in a while to catch up and maintain connections.
Using a digital portfolio, such as a personal website or blog, to showcase one’s interests, hobbies, and achievements, making it easier for potential romantic partners or friends to learn more about them.
Utilizing a “get-to-know-me” quiz or survey app, where you can create a personalized questionnaire for friends or potential partners to fill out, discovering shared interests and compatibility.
Developing a personal “social calendar” app or tool that helps you track and manage social events, as well as set reminders to reach out to friends and potential romantic partners.
Unfortunately, “social hacking” is already a term in security. The only good suggestion I got out of GPT-4 was “socialvation”. So, a second question: do you have any other suggestions?
socialhacks
A characteristic feature of the effective altruism and rationalism communities is what I call “socialhacks”, or unusual tricks to optimize social or romantic activity, akin to lifehacks. Examples include
Dating documents
Monetary bounties for those who introduce someone to a potential romantic partner if they hit it off
A custom-printed T-shirt listing topics one enjoys discussing, their name, or a QR code to their website
Booking casual one-on-one calls using Calendly
Maintaining an anonymous feedback form
Reciprocity: a site where people can choose which others they would hang out with / date, and it only reveals the preference of the other party if they also want to do that activity
Lifehacks live in the fuzzy boundary between useful and non-useful: if an activity is not useful at all, it’s not a good lifehack, but if it’s too universally useful, it becomes common practice and no longer worthy of being called a “hack” (e.g. wearing a piece of cloth in between one’s foot and their shoe to make it easier to put on the shoe and reduce odor, i.e. socks).
Similarly, socialhacks are useful but live on the boundary between socially acceptable and unacceptable. They’re never unethical, but they are weird, which is why they’re only popular within open-minded, highly coordinated, and optimizing-mindset groups like EAs and rats. Some things would totally be considered socialhacks if they weren’t mainstream, like dating apps and alcohol.
I asked GPT-4 to generate ideas for new socialhacks. Here’s a curated list. Do you have any other ideas?
Hosting regular “speed friend-dating” events where participants have a limited time to talk to each other before moving on to the next person, helping to expand social circles quickly.
Using personalized business cards that include not only one’s contact information but also a brief description of their hobbies and interests to hand out to potential friends or romantic interests.
Developing a “personal brand” that highlights one’s unique qualities, interests, and strengths, making it easier for others to remember and connect with them.
Establishing a regular “friend check-in” routine, where you reach out to friends you haven’t spoken to in a while to catch up and maintain connections.
Using a digital portfolio, such as a personal website or blog, to showcase one’s interests, hobbies, and achievements, making it easier for potential romantic partners or friends to learn more about them.
Utilizing a “get-to-know-me” quiz or survey app, where you can create a personalized questionnaire for friends or potential partners to fill out, discovering shared interests and compatibility.
Developing a personal “social calendar” app or tool that helps you track and manage social events, as well as set reminders to reach out to friends and potential romantic partners.
Unfortunately, “social hacking” is already a term in security. The only good suggestion I got out of GPT-4 was “socialvation”. So, a second question: do you have any other suggestions?