In this post, I wish to share an opposing concern: that the EA and rationality communities have become systematically biased to ignore multi/multi dynamics, and power dynamics more generally.
The EA and rationality communities tend to lean very strongly towards mistake rather than conflict theory. A topic that I’ve had in my mind for a while, but haven’t gotten around writing a full post about, is of both of them looking like emotional defense strategies.
It looks to me like Scott’s post is pointing towards, not actually different theories, but one’s underlying cognitive-emotional disposition or behavioral strategy towards outgroups. Do you go with the disposition towards empathizing and assuming that others are basically good people that you can reason with, or with the disposition towards banding together with your allies and defending against a potential threat?
And at least in the extremes, both of them look like they have elements of an emotional defense. Mistake doesn’t want to deal with the issue that some people you just can’t reason with no matter how good your intentions, so it ignores that and attempts to solve all problems by dialogue and reasoning. (Also, many Mistake Theorists are just bad at dealing with conflict in general.) Conflict doesn’t want to deal with the issue that often people who hurt you have understandable reasons for doing so and that they are often hurting too, so it ignores that and attempts to solve all problems by conflict.
If this model is true, then it also suggests that Mistake Theorists should also be systematically biased against the possibility of things like power dynamics being genuinely significant. If power dynamics are genuinely significant, then you might have to resolve things by conflict no matter how much you invest in dialogue and understanding, which is the exact scenario that Mistake is trying to desperately avoid.
Mistake Theorists should also be systematically biased against the possibility of things like power dynamics being genuinely significant
This surprises me, because it feels like the whole pitch for things like paperclip maximizers is a huge power imbalance where the more powerful party is making a mistake.
The EA and rationality communities tend to lean very strongly towards mistake rather than conflict theory. A topic that I’ve had in my mind for a while, but haven’t gotten around writing a full post about, is of both of them looking like emotional defense strategies.
It looks to me like Scott’s post is pointing towards, not actually different theories, but one’s underlying cognitive-emotional disposition or behavioral strategy towards outgroups. Do you go with the disposition towards empathizing and assuming that others are basically good people that you can reason with, or with the disposition towards banding together with your allies and defending against a potential threat?
And at least in the extremes, both of them look like they have elements of an emotional defense. Mistake doesn’t want to deal with the issue that some people you just can’t reason with no matter how good your intentions, so it ignores that and attempts to solve all problems by dialogue and reasoning. (Also, many Mistake Theorists are just bad at dealing with conflict in general.) Conflict doesn’t want to deal with the issue that often people who hurt you have understandable reasons for doing so and that they are often hurting too, so it ignores that and attempts to solve all problems by conflict.
If this model is true, then it also suggests that Mistake Theorists should also be systematically biased against the possibility of things like power dynamics being genuinely significant. If power dynamics are genuinely significant, then you might have to resolve things by conflict no matter how much you invest in dialogue and understanding, which is the exact scenario that Mistake is trying to desperately avoid.
You meant to say, biased against that possibility?
Oops, yeah. Edited.
This surprises me, because it feels like the whole pitch for things like paperclip maximizers is a huge power imbalance where the more powerful party is making a mistake.