So after reading SarahC's latest post I noticed that she's gotten a lot out of rationality.
More importantly, she got different things out of it than I have.
Off the top of my head, I've learned...
- that other people see themselves differently, and should be understood on their terms (mostly from here)
- that I can pay attention to what I'm doing, and try to notice patterns to make intervention more effective.
- the whole utilitarian structure of having a goal that you take actions to achieve, coupled with the idea of an optimization process. It was really helpful to me to realize that you can do whatever it takes to achieve something, not just what has been suggested.
- the importance/usefulness of dissolving the question/how words work (especially great when combined with previous part)
- that an event is evidence for something, not just what I think it can support
- to pull people in, don't force them. Seriously that one is ridiculously useful. Thanks David Gerard.
- that things don't happen unless something makes them happen.
- that other people are smart and cool, and often have good advice
Where she got...
- a habit of learning new skills
- better time-management habits
- an awesome community
- more initiative
- the idea that she can change the world
I've only recently making a habit out of trying new things, and that's been going really well for me. Is there other low hanging fruit that I'm missing?
What cool/important/useful things has rationality gotten you?
Lets say the Singularity is likely to happen in 2045 like Kurzweil says, and you want to maximize the chances that it's positive. The idea that you should get to work making as much money to donate to SIAI, or that you should start researching fAGI (depending on your talents). What you do tomorrow doesn't matter. What matters is the average output over the next 35 years.
This is important because a strategy where you have a emotional breakdown in 2020 fails. If you get so miserable you kill yourself you've failed at your goal. You need to make sure that this fallible agent, XIXIDu, stays at a very high level of productivity for the next 35 years. That almost never happens if you're not fulfilling the needs your monkey brain demands.
Immediate gratification isn't a terminal goal, you've figured this out, but it does work as an instrumental goal on the path of a greater goal.
Ditto