Answer questions specifically as asked, looping back into my models of the world
I sometimes have a habit of modelling questions more as moves in a game, and I play the move that supports the overall outcome of the conversation I’m going for, which doesn’t support truth-seeking
I also sometimes say things using some heuristics, and answer other questions with other heuristics and it takes work to notice that they’re not consistent
When I hear a claim, think about whether I’ve observed it in my life
Notice what “fads” I’m getting caught up in
Trying to be more gearsy, less heuristics-y. What’s actually good or bad about this, what do they actually think not just what general direction are they pulling the rope, etc
Noticing when we’re arguing about the wrong thing, when we e.g. should be arguing about the breakdown of what percent one thing versus another
Habits of thought I’m working on
Answer questions specifically as asked, looping back into my models of the world
I sometimes have a habit of modelling questions more as moves in a game, and I play the move that supports the overall outcome of the conversation I’m going for, which doesn’t support truth-seeking
I also sometimes say things using some heuristics, and answer other questions with other heuristics and it takes work to notice that they’re not consistent
When I hear a claim, think about whether I’ve observed it in my life
Notice what “fads” I’m getting caught up in
Trying to be more gearsy, less heuristics-y. What’s actually good or bad about this, what do they actually think not just what general direction are they pulling the rope, etc
Noticing when we’re arguing about the wrong thing, when we e.g. should be arguing about the breakdown of what percent one thing versus another
Noticing when we’re skating over a real object level disagreement
Noticing whether I feel able to think thoughts
Noticing when I’m only consuming / receiving ideas but not actually thinking
Listing all the things that could be true about something
More predictions / forecasts / models
More often looking things up / tracking down a fact rather than sweeping it by or deciding I don’t know
Paraphrasing a lot and asking if I’ve got things right
“Is that a lot?”—putting numbers in context
If there’s a weird fact from a study, you can question the study as well as the fact
Say why you think things, including “I saw a headline about this”
Habits of thought I might work on someday
Reversal tests: reversing every statement to see if the opposite also seems true
More I like: https://twitter.com/ChanaMessinger/status/1287737689849176065