Right now I think that for many people rationalism is a peripheral identity
I think this captures something I’ve been thinking about for a while now. Rationality is very much a core identity for me, and looking back at my life it seems inevitable that it’s that way. Yeah I know, classic bias. But even pre sequences I was obsessed with rationality and was slowly reinventing it. Rationality absolutely undergirds my life and it’s just… how could it not, you know? Discovering the sequences changed my life and I would do anything to be able to back and read them earlier.
Then I go in the Bayesian Conspiracy and people casually mention that rationality is cool and all but doesn’t really impact their life. And I’m just left scratching my head because—what? How??
But if I look at it from the perspective of, not just whether you’ve read the sequences or whatever, but is rationality a core identity then that makes a lot more sense. Of course someone who treats rationality as an interesting hobby will get less out of it than someone who’s obsessed.
No one spends real time, energy or effort evangelizing rationalism.
The reason I don’t talk about rationality to outsiders is because it has a high chance of crippling my social status and making everything harder.
I feel a similar way to you in that rationalism is part of my core identity. Why do you think talking about rationality/rationalism will make you loose social status? I’ve often broached the topic with people in work, my friendship groupm, debating etc and have never had any problems.
Hm. Perhaps I’m concerned over nothing then. I was specifically afraid of standing out, of cult associations, and my general feeling is that rationality is seen as this cold, inhuman thing. Like I once had a girl tell me she was glad I didn’t see things in terms of winning like everyone else does… and that’s exactly how I see them. I just include nice things under my definition of victory.
I think this captures something I’ve been thinking about for a while now. Rationality is very much a core identity for me, and looking back at my life it seems inevitable that it’s that way. Yeah I know, classic bias. But even pre sequences I was obsessed with rationality and was slowly reinventing it. Rationality absolutely undergirds my life and it’s just… how could it not, you know? Discovering the sequences changed my life and I would do anything to be able to back and read them earlier.
Then I go in the Bayesian Conspiracy and people casually mention that rationality is cool and all but doesn’t really impact their life. And I’m just left scratching my head because—what? How??
But if I look at it from the perspective of, not just whether you’ve read the sequences or whatever, but is rationality a core identity then that makes a lot more sense. Of course someone who treats rationality as an interesting hobby will get less out of it than someone who’s obsessed.
The reason I don’t talk about rationality to outsiders is because it has a high chance of crippling my social status and making everything harder.
I feel a similar way to you in that rationalism is part of my core identity. Why do you think talking about rationality/rationalism will make you loose social status? I’ve often broached the topic with people in work, my friendship groupm, debating etc and have never had any problems.
Hm. Perhaps I’m concerned over nothing then. I was specifically afraid of standing out, of cult associations, and my general feeling is that rationality is seen as this cold, inhuman thing. Like I once had a girl tell me she was glad I didn’t see things in terms of winning like everyone else does… and that’s exactly how I see them. I just include nice things under my definition of victory.