Same here. I find that simulating other people’s reaction to my arguments, mistakes, or work that I’ve done is helpful. When I want to find logical errors in my arguments, I imagine explaining them to someone with a strong background in philosophy. When something isn’t working well in the lab, I imagine explaining the situation to someone with experience, and if I feel embarrassed or like they’re about to offer a super obvious solution, it usually means I’ve made some silly mistake. Also, getting back to Sandi’s question, some of the most helpful people for me to simulate are people that I met through the LessWrong meetup in Austin.
you could consider enrolling in graduate school
My classmates in grad school are often, but not always, a good source of more productive intellectual conversations. There is still sometimes an issue of differences in the style of thinking that people appreciate, or the kinds of topics they’re interested in. And, of course, just because someone has had enough success in graduate school to stick around and be a friend for a few years doesn’t mean they don’t succumb to a variety of biases that can make it harder to have the kinds of conversations you’re seeking.
Same here. I find that simulating other people’s reaction to my arguments, mistakes, or work that I’ve done is helpful. When I want to find logical errors in my arguments, I imagine explaining them to someone with a strong background in philosophy. When something isn’t working well in the lab, I imagine explaining the situation to someone with experience, and if I feel embarrassed or like they’re about to offer a super obvious solution, it usually means I’ve made some silly mistake. Also, getting back to Sandi’s question, some of the most helpful people for me to simulate are people that I met through the LessWrong meetup in Austin.
My classmates in grad school are often, but not always, a good source of more productive intellectual conversations. There is still sometimes an issue of differences in the style of thinking that people appreciate, or the kinds of topics they’re interested in. And, of course, just because someone has had enough success in graduate school to stick around and be a friend for a few years doesn’t mean they don’t succumb to a variety of biases that can make it harder to have the kinds of conversations you’re seeking.