Scout Mindset Book Summary

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.

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.

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.

Make confusion a puzzle and not a dismissal.
Seek people that disagree, but have more ScM (non-tribal and can share common ground).

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.

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.