I have read a lot of self-help in my time, which means I’ve also read a whole lot of bullshit. Worst than the actual process of ingesting and attempting to digest self-help bullshit was finding that my own writing started to produce features similar to self-help bullshit.

I would write advice that I had not attempted, which I knew would not work for me, and which I would never actually try myself.

I’m not unique in this respect- this type of writing infests the internet and literature at every level, but it’s not how it has to be.

I just wrote a post where I recommend hyperventilation in order to get in a better mindset for public speaking. This is something that I’ve actually done on multiple occasions and had results with. If you’re a nervous speaker or performer it’s something you should try at least once to see what you’re capable of- I expect you’ll be able to communicate at a much higher level than you previously thought possible.

This is the first mark of knowledge and the first heuristic for discerning truth from trash- Knowledge is power, therefore if you have no power you have no knowledge.

Archimedes said that if you gave him a lever long enough and a place to stand he could move the Earth, and that’s what knowledge is like- Knowledge is a lever to move the world.

Therefore I say to you my LessWrong followers- do not be like the Pharisees who read thick tomes in public and talk about obscure economic or metaphysical theories, but use your knowledge to gain mastery over yourself and your environment.

Evaluate all facts and models by their ability to help you achieve your goals, and you will never become so lost that you have only the image of intelligence to comfort you.