I have a lot of goals that are in constant flux, but I’ve decided on one thing I want. I want a community. Honestly, I’m terrified that I might have to put it together. My area is not tiny, but it’s not large enough to have made the rationalist radar yet. There’s a humanist group, some atheist groups, and a “free thinkers club” that seems wholly unpleasant. I’ve spoken with some members, and it seems to be made up of the same debate-club “intellectuals” that skeeved me out in high school. I’m naturally group-averse. I’m on the autism spectrum; while I can pass as sociable, that ceases once I go off-script. Community building is not natural or pleasant to me, but if I want a group that I can trust to share some of my values, I might have to proselytize.
By proselytize, I don’t mean using cognitive tricks. I wouldn’t be good at that anyway. I just mean, show up to those programming groups that I keep meaning to go to. Showing them some rationality materials, and seeing if anyone is interested in chatting about it. That’s all I need, really. People willing to engage without resorting to status contests. People who can support each other, optimize together.
I have no idea how to go about it when there’s not a huge rationalist readership in the area. I’m scared, and it’ll have to wait until summer anyways. But that’s my goal.
There may well be a few rationalists in your area you don’t know about, who would likely turn up to a meetup if you announced one on LessWrong. I fit that description when some random people I’d never met started a regular meetup in my city. (A second, borderline case: The guy in my math tutorial who noticed I was reading Thinking Fast and Slow, turned out to read LessWrong and HPMOR, and who I mentioned the local meetups to and dragged along.)
If there’s an established group in a nearish area, such that you’re not in the area but might travel out there occasionally, I’d recommend checking it out. It’s not the same as being able to hang out in meatspace more frequently, but is still awesome. See: Australia, Europe.
At the Australian camp, one of our attendees ended up coming through putting his name on the HPMOR wrap party site, a couple of months before, and someone making contact with him. So people interested in HPMOR would be a good bet, if you can find any. Assuming you yourself have read some of and like HPMOR, another angle for proselytising is pestering people you know to read that.
If you happen to also be into Effective Altruism, I’d recommend those groups as well. General EA meetups? GWWC chapter? Random visiting EA philosophers? Aside from the ones who find it through LW in the first place, people wanting to think through their altruistic actions, check if things actually work, and so on may be interested in LW topics.
I think if I put a LW meetup on, well, Meetup, I might draw some people out of the woodwork. In the description, I’d give a brief explanation of the word “rationalist” (as “Boise Rationalists” will probably catch more eyes than “Boise LessWrong Meetup”). I’d also include links to this site, HPMOR, and Khaneman’s books, and a blurb about eventual goals. What’s your opinion on that strategy? I know that when I moved to the area, I browsed Meetup for interesting groups and attended several. Talking to others, I’ve learned that they did the same. If I’d seen “Boise Rationalists,” I would have been interested.
There’s a group that’s only a seven-hour drive from my location, so I could make that a few times a year.
I hadn’t thought of the EA angle! That might be more palatable to some newcomers.
I have a lot of goals that are in constant flux, but I’ve decided on one thing I want. I want a community. Honestly, I’m terrified that I might have to put it together. My area is not tiny, but it’s not large enough to have made the rationalist radar yet. There’s a humanist group, some atheist groups, and a “free thinkers club” that seems wholly unpleasant. I’ve spoken with some members, and it seems to be made up of the same debate-club “intellectuals” that skeeved me out in high school. I’m naturally group-averse. I’m on the autism spectrum; while I can pass as sociable, that ceases once I go off-script. Community building is not natural or pleasant to me, but if I want a group that I can trust to share some of my values, I might have to proselytize.
By proselytize, I don’t mean using cognitive tricks. I wouldn’t be good at that anyway. I just mean, show up to those programming groups that I keep meaning to go to. Showing them some rationality materials, and seeing if anyone is interested in chatting about it. That’s all I need, really. People willing to engage without resorting to status contests. People who can support each other, optimize together.
I have no idea how to go about it when there’s not a huge rationalist readership in the area. I’m scared, and it’ll have to wait until summer anyways. But that’s my goal.
consider visiting local universities as a place to find people of interest in reasoning-type and thinking-type skills and ideas.
Other than that you have already named a few good places to start.
We do have a few colleges. I also work with a lot of engineering types who might be interested.
Some things that may or may not be obvious:
There may well be a few rationalists in your area you don’t know about, who would likely turn up to a meetup if you announced one on LessWrong. I fit that description when some random people I’d never met started a regular meetup in my city. (A second, borderline case: The guy in my math tutorial who noticed I was reading Thinking Fast and Slow, turned out to read LessWrong and HPMOR, and who I mentioned the local meetups to and dragged along.)
If there’s an established group in a nearish area, such that you’re not in the area but might travel out there occasionally, I’d recommend checking it out. It’s not the same as being able to hang out in meatspace more frequently, but is still awesome. See: Australia, Europe.
At the Australian camp, one of our attendees ended up coming through putting his name on the HPMOR wrap party site, a couple of months before, and someone making contact with him. So people interested in HPMOR would be a good bet, if you can find any. Assuming you yourself have read some of and like HPMOR, another angle for proselytising is pestering people you know to read that.
If you happen to also be into Effective Altruism, I’d recommend those groups as well. General EA meetups? GWWC chapter? Random visiting EA philosophers? Aside from the ones who find it through LW in the first place, people wanting to think through their altruistic actions, check if things actually work, and so on may be interested in LW topics.
I think if I put a LW meetup on, well, Meetup, I might draw some people out of the woodwork. In the description, I’d give a brief explanation of the word “rationalist” (as “Boise Rationalists” will probably catch more eyes than “Boise LessWrong Meetup”). I’d also include links to this site, HPMOR, and Khaneman’s books, and a blurb about eventual goals. What’s your opinion on that strategy? I know that when I moved to the area, I browsed Meetup for interesting groups and attended several. Talking to others, I’ve learned that they did the same. If I’d seen “Boise Rationalists,” I would have been interested.
There’s a group that’s only a seven-hour drive from my location, so I could make that a few times a year.
I hadn’t thought of the EA angle! That might be more palatable to some newcomers.
I like the sound of that strategy, although here I must admit I’m inexperienced in actually using it.
Would it make sense to mention where you are?
I’m in the Boise, Idaho area.