The Scout Mindset is book from Julia Galef on topic of rationality and decision-making.
The Case for Scout Mindset
- Soldier mindset reasoning is a combat. Soldier Mindset is adopted for emotional benefits, social benefits, but it achives that only in a short term due to ripple effects of deception.
- Scout Mindset (Scm) reasoning is like a map making. Scount Mindset is used for good judgments. Scount mindset is a long term better strategy most of the time. World is also becoming more Scout mindset oriented.
Developing Self-Awareness
- ScM is not about intelligence. On certain questions, higher the IQ leads to higher divergence in opinions between groups on the same topic.
- ScM is about updating probability of believes, understanding counter hypotheses, and valueing new information.
Thriving Without Illusions
- Avoid desperation by doing the best.
- Motivate by expected value. (warning: ergodicity problem)
- Social confidence (self-assurance) is separate from epistemic confidence (certainty about what’s true). Social confidence is feeling.
- Making eye contact, speaking evenly, and using decisive hand gestures. It made comparatively little difference whether she spoke with high certainty (“I’m positive that . . .”) or low certainty (“I think maybe . . .”).
- Projecting competence doesn’t require self-deception. Practice speaking up in groups, hiring a speech coach, dressing better, improving your posture.
Changing Your Mind
- Make confusion a puzzle and not a dismissal.
- Seek people that disagree, but have more ScM (non-tribal and can share common ground).
Rethinking Identity
- Beliefs should not become identities.
- Hold identity lightly by not making identity central. Not taunting other sides.
- Build Scout identity. I listen to other arguments. I don’t take cheap shots. I don’t make excuses.
Continue Reading:
- Superstition Doesn’t Count on Commonplace blog criticises usefulness of epistemic rationality. I would say that this book tries to be more on the side instrumental over epistemic rationality.
- Transfigure Stress into Energy by Drawing on Research helps me with using stress as an energy source.