I think the “desire to think” comes pretty much with the meat hardware, or is at least a product of early childhood and cultural influences. My mind feels like a freeway, full of a constant stream of thoughts competing for my attention...and I know several people who self-report being aware of almost no real introspection or abstract thought. (They are almost all “happier” people than me, by the way.)
I do think rationality training can help those with a high intellectual drive get more traction in actually using that drive to produce something meaningful. Part of the reason I like LW is it feels a little like steroids for my brain—it helps me focus and organize my thoughts a bit. After reading some of the stuff smart people write on here, “regular life” feels like it is moving in slow motion intellectually and I can make good progress.
I think thats part of what motivates ‘someones wrong on the internet’ syndrome, when you see something obviously and provably wrong the need to fix it is almost visceral.
Creating something new out of the ether is much harder though.
No. Not for adults.
I think the “desire to think” comes pretty much with the meat hardware, or is at least a product of early childhood and cultural influences. My mind feels like a freeway, full of a constant stream of thoughts competing for my attention...and I know several people who self-report being aware of almost no real introspection or abstract thought. (They are almost all “happier” people than me, by the way.)
I do think rationality training can help those with a high intellectual drive get more traction in actually using that drive to produce something meaningful. Part of the reason I like LW is it feels a little like steroids for my brain—it helps me focus and organize my thoughts a bit. After reading some of the stuff smart people write on here, “regular life” feels like it is moving in slow motion intellectually and I can make good progress.
Intellectual OCD. Untidy ideas bother you, and you need to clean them up.
That’s one thing. Another thing is exploration: chasing thoughts into interesting intellectual landscapes.
I think thats part of what motivates ‘someones wrong on the internet’ syndrome, when you see something obviously and provably wrong the need to fix it is almost visceral.
Creating something new out of the ether is much harder though.
That’s a good point. Intellectual OCD isn’t that creative. In fact, it can be a hindrance, as newly created ideas tend not to be too tidy.
You nailed it.
How do I do that? Be specific.
How do you give yourself OCD? Hmmm, I had always considered it a bug, and not a feature.
Encourage your annoyance with bad ideas?
Ha.
Sorry. I meant I think I suffer from the intellectual OCD as you’ve described it. How would you suggest I rid myself of it?