I wrote this after listening to about half of Yudkowsky’s Lex podcast. I observed a lot of the same patterns that I’ve struggled with myself.
Listening to big yud on lex was helpful. I can empathize with him, and the negative downstream effects of his rigorous, causal structure of thinking (people taking you out of context and reacting negatively). I am very similar - given the same rules of reasoning, everyone should come to the same conclusion. However, that emotional detachment is sometimes caused by an ineptitude for empathy. It has gotten me, and it seems, Yudboy in trouble.
It can be pretty frustrating when people don't come to the same conclusions you do. Or, when they get offended after you describe something that is strictly factual (normal distributions, anyone?). I get it. But after getting in trouble enough times, I just like, stopped. Like, stopped saying what I think, or caring that people thought differently than myself. Making people think similarly to myself - why? Will it really change anything?
People have different emotional grounding and different priors than yours. That's okay! I've learned to not give my own thought processes too much weight. I value them, and I live by them myself, but the rest is out of my control. I mostly just keep it to myself. Who’s to say that I’m right anyway?
That said, it is nice to have a group where you can be yourself. My advice to Big Yud: watch it unfold, with your friends. Watch people think things. Watch people react. Make your predictions with your peers. You're having fun, right? Just have fun. And don't worry about it too much.
P(us die) > 0. But also, P(having fun) = 1
Thanks for reading!
Note: I have been being a good boy and keeping my notes synced to my site. yacine.ca
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