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shminux comments on Simulate and Defer To More Rational Selves - Less Wrong
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Hm, so I tried thinking about how I could apply this to a problem I have and can't quite see how to do it. Any suggestions? Am I missing or misinterpreting a point or is this just not a good problem to apply this solution to?
Here's the problem: I like rock climbing, but I'm not very good at it. The thing holding me back in the situation I'm most concerned with here (lead climbing outdoors) is primarily that I'm scared. I'm frequently in a position where I'm capable of executing the next move with very high probability, but I don't want to attempt it because I'm afraid that I'll fail and fall.
Of course there are lots of ways to try and work on this, but I'm curious whether this seems like the kind of situation where this approach ought to be applicable. I can try to simulate a not scared Emily, and this is quite easy to do: of course she would execute the move right away, but I still have plenty of resistance to just copying her. My knee-jerk tendency is to rationalise that if she's not scared, there must be a good reason: she must also be better at climbing! So I can't just copy her, because I'm not as good! What if I fall?
Should I be trying to convince myself that I'm successfully simulating a climber with the same skill level, but less fear? Or perhaps this is just not a situation where this is a good approach, because my fear is for a reason, and if my assessment of my ability is accurate then I'm right to be scared given the (small, but not really tiny) probability of failure?
Presumably you climb with all the standard safety measures in place, so even as a lead you are not at that much of a risk, unless your gear fails, not a very common occurrence in rock climbing. Which means that you probably have more fear than applicable in this situation (i.e. the amount of fear you would have in a non-climbing situation of a similar risk, like maybe mountain biking). If so, then it's worth figuring out in which situation you have the wrong amount of fear could be a start.
Yeah, most of the time the consequences of failing a move are not very bad. One problem I find is that, all else being equal, easier routes (where I'm more confident I can do the moves) at least feel like they have worse consequences of failure, because they're full of big holds, ledges, and slabby sections which you can bash yourself up on before your gear catches you.
Right. Seems like an incentive to progress to vertical and overhangs :)
I don't even need an incentive! I love overhangs indoors and I'm way better at them than slabs/vertical stuff. But most steep stuff outdoors seems to be well beyond the grades I might attempt to lead, at least round here. One day I'll be good enough... maybe... :)