I am getting started reading Calculus by Spivak. (It is a rigorous textbook on Calculus that flirts with Real Analysis) I plan on moving fast, especially on the first few chapters which I read a few months back before refocusing on something else. Are there LWers who want to join in on the fun? If you are in the bay area, we could get together occasionally to do problems and help each other out.
Thanks. I will try to see if there is a setting in which my reaction is not as strong.
I seek a pointer to material which may help me with a problem I am having. I have noticed that certain claims make me angry and defensive. I find this troubling because while I am convinced that a subset of those claims is wrong, I am unsure regarding the complement. Nevertheless, because I become angry and defensive, I simply cannot evaluate claims which belong in the complement. (Well, rather, I "evaluate" those claims by knocking down arguments in their favor and declaring victory over my opponents which is not particularly helpful in finding the truth.)
I don't think that's true. In my experience spending time with rationalists and studying aspects of it myself, I have found that rationalists separate themselves from the general population in many ways which would make it hard to convince non-rationalists. Those aspects are things that rationalists cultivate partially in an effort to improve their thinking, but also, in order to signal membership in the rationalist tribe. (Rationalists are humans after all) Those are not things that rationalists can easily turn on and off. I can identify 3 general groups of aspects that many rationalists seem... (read 626 more words →)