Can you imagine some piece of evidence you could hear about these events that would make them sound more "cultish"? Can you imagine some piece of evidence you could hear about them that would make them sound less "cultish"?
Yes.
What kinds of things might an aversion to "cultishness" protect you from? (Some I can think of: Giving all your money to the Church of Scientology; being sexually abused by a guru you trust; being alienated from your family and friends because they think you're a heretic or into scary weird shit.)
These seem to be good examples of potential dangers. More include believing stupid nonsense, doing generally irrational things, being locked into an exploitative social network, etc.
These seem to be good examples of potential dangers. More include believing stupid nonsense, doing generally irrational things, being locked into an exploitative social network, etc.
I think I have a better image of your concerns, but it's still fuzzy. Could you go into more detail?
(This is on my mind a lot because I recently got in touch with an old friend who turns out to be deeply creeped out by LW and CFAR in a way I'm trying to understand better.)
Is "stupid nonsense" the same as "false beliefs"?
I'm unsure about "doing irrat...
Discussion article for the meetup : Boston - Schelling Day
WHEN: 16 April 2014 07:00:00PM (-0400)
WHERE: Citadel House, 98 Elm St Apt 1, Somerville, MA
Schelling Day is a rationalist holiday (designed by Ben Landau-Taylor) that is about sharing important and personal things in our lives, and getting to know each other better. The holiday involves a fun ritual for talking about feelings, and a potluck dinner.
Here is Ben's LW post describing Schelling Day http://lesswrong.com/lw/h2t/schelling_day_a_rationalist_holiday/
There is some debate on the most Schelling time to gather and discuss feelings, but the birthday of Thomas Schelling (April 14) seemed like a good choice. Last year's debut of Schelling Day was a great success, and we look forward to holding it again!
The schedule for Schelling Day is as follows:
7pm - arrival
7:30pm - ceremony begins
8:30pm - dinner and socializing
Discussion article for the meetup : Boston - Schelling Day