All of Iabalka's Comments + Replies

Iabalka
10

Why are these rationality habits? Based on what? All the examples are personal. Isn't it possible to give (also) a scientific examples for each habit : study ..... shows that .... hence 1) the habit is useful for dealing with this bias 2) it doesn't create or reinforce other biases.

Iabalka
150

On how to realise it: What about LW-crowd sourcing? For a "month" ideas for for-profit start-ups are gathered. For a "month" the LW crowd ranks them (by for example committing real money) , for a "month" people interested in the 10 most funded ideas can apply for a job, the LW crowd has a month to choose which people will be "hired". Solves part of the funding problem and the team-makeing.

Iabalka
90

What does it mean "being agenty" ?

7ShannonFriedman
Taking personal responsibility for making things happen. Observing opportunities and going for them. Taking risks. The act of filling out the form I posted would be a form of being an agent.
Iabalka
00

the link in point 3. doesn't work

0Utopiah
Yes unfortunately my web server keeps on weirdly and the logs do not help. I restarted it hopefully it will keep on working for a while, I replaced it by a static version for now, apologies :/
Iabalka
30

My rationality thoughts on certain aspects of relationships:

• Your first time (hug, kiss, etc...) with a new partner

Be aware that you have built some expectations. Thus if your expectations were high(low) you are likely to be disappointed(overexcited). Then your second time will be perceived as better(worse) due to the regression towards the mean phenomena. So draw a representative sample before judging and start optimizing.

Iabalka
10

What about improving rationality with neurofeedback? The theory is that if you can see some kind of representation of your own brain activity (EEG for example), you should be able to learn to modify it. It has been shown that people could learn to control pain by watching the activity of their pain centres (http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg18224451.400-controlling-pain-by-watching-your-brain.html). Neurofeedback is also used to treat ADHD, increase concentration, and "it has been shown that it can improve medical students' memory and make them feel calmer before exams."

5GilPanama
I did quite a bit of EEG neurofeedback at the age of about 11 or 12. I may have learned to concentrate a little better, but I'm really not sure. The problem is that once I was off the machine, I stopped getting the feedback! Consider the following interior monologue: "Am I relaxing or focusing in the right way? I don't have the beeping to tell me, how do I know I am doing it right?" In theory, EEG is a truly rational way to learn to relax, because one constantly gets information about how relaxed one is and can adjust one's behavior to maximize relaxation. In practice, I'm not sure if telling 12-year-old me that I was going to have access to electrical feedback from my own brain was the best way to relax me. The EEG did convince me that physicalism was probably true, which distressed me because I had a lot of cached thoughts about how it is bad to be a soulless machine. My mother, who believed in souls at the time, reassured me that if I really was a machine that could feel and think, there'd be nothing wrong with that. I wonder how my rationality would have developed if, at that point, she had instead decided to argue against the evidence?
Iabalka
20

The word "Bias" is often associated with the word "prejudice" which has become loaded with rather negative associations. (People don't like others to think of them as "prejudiced") Especially as I am not a native english speaker until a week ago (I read LW since a month) I didn't make a distinction between bias and prejudice as in my language the 2 words translate more or less the same. Maybe the process of "debiasing" should include to associate the word "bias" with "cognitive bias : a pattern of poor judgment" which every human brain has and there is nothing to be ashamed of.

1fubarobfusco
Introducing "bias" in terms of estimation might be easier: Bias is a systematic error in estimation. In the case of cognitive biases (as opposed to, for instance, statistically biased samples) we're talking about cases where people reliably make certain errors in estimation or prediction, for instance in estimating how long a project will take or whether an investment of effort or money is worthwhile.
Iabalka
20

Are you suggesting to leave everything to natural selection? Doesn't strike me as the rationalists' way.

Iabalka
00

The word "Bias" is often associated with the word "prejudice" which has become loaded with rather negative associations. (People don't like others to think of them as "prejudiced") Especially as I am not a native english speaker until 2 days ago (I read LW since a month) I didn't make a distinction between bias and prejudice as in my language the 2 words have more or less the same translation . How can the general public be made to associate "bias" at least partially with "cognitive bias : a pattern of poor judgment" which every human brain has and there is nothing to be ashamed of?

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Iabalka
20

I don' see from where you conclude that " immortal superbeings would do something polyish" . Why it is not as likely that they will evolve to have a series of monogamous relationships? The science of falling and staying in love is even now quite well understood . All it takes is few hormones. (see http://www.youramazingbrain.org.uk/lovesex/sciencelove.htm and the references therein). By using them only when with your partner you can make a love relationship monogamous relatively easy.

That said, do you have references for " though probably ... (read more)

Iabalka
120

Alicorn would you have "hacked" yourself to be a secondary or n-th"ary " of MBlume?

Alicorn
210

That's a complicated question, in large part because it was practically necessary that MBlume subsidize my housing and living expenses. (I was previously living with a roommate who did not require of me rent or grocery money, and very much approved of this arrangement; I didn't want to take a gigantic financial kick in the teeth and have to job-hunt when I'm not especially employable and move across the country for something that could have failed to work out in practice.) It seems unlikely on the face of it that he'd have been up for doing that for a se... (read more)

Iabalka
-10

The "sheep dance " is likely a result of a huge amount of "happy" (Adrenaline, dopamine, Serotonin) hormones being released in the brain(or even "limerence" (see for example Physical effects section from the "limerence" article on Wikipedia)). It is a very enjoyable state which I would even try to prolongate as long as possible (meaning over the course of several encounters). Isn't it better to advice the male nerds to follow some of the courses on the bootcamps on how to dress or how to behave more masculine or to ... (read more)

4smk
If my husband had done that I likely wouldn't have been as interested in him.
Iabalka
60

Alicorn is describing here a specific type of polyamorous relationship (classified on wikipedia as having Sub-relationships) . There are other types polyamory for example

  • "Group relationships, ... in which all consider themselves associated to one another, popularized to some extent by Robert A. Heinlein (in novels such as Stranger in a Strange Land, Time Enough for Love, Friday" -Triad :Three people romantically involved. (Commonly initiated by an established couple jointly dating a third person; however, there are many possible configurations.) -Quads : Relationships between a couple and another couple
Iabalka
-10

Although in this post the authors have emphasised more on the hijacking when we say things I find it somehow related to the "cognitive costs of doing things" ( see http://lesswrong.com/lw/5in/the_cognitive_costs_to_doing_things/ ) When you do something you always pay a price. Maybe in the list of what to do could be added to be prepared and estimate the price you are going to pay when you are planning to do something.

Also beware of the "beauty bias" (see www.overcomingbias.com) if a handsome/beautiful person tells you something its seems you are more likely to agree with him/her.

Iabalka
00

Great post. I really liked how you managed even in an intendedly heavy and technical post to mention hot sex. Please keep up in the future posts.