I also hoped to imply that ITN is more than a heuristic. It also serves a rhetorical purpose.
I worry that its seeming simplicity can belie the complexity of cause prioritization. Calculating an ITN rank or score can be treated as the end, rather than the beginning, of such an effort. The numbers can tug the mind in the direction of arguing with the scores, rather than evaluating the argument used to generate them.
My hope is to encourage people to treat ITN scores just as you say—taking them lightly and setting them aside once they’ve developed a deeper understanding of an issue.
I also hoped to imply that ITN is more than a heuristic. It also serves a rhetorical purpose.
I worry that its seeming simplicity can belie the complexity of cause prioritization. Calculating an ITN rank or score can be treated as the end, rather than the beginning, of such an effort. The numbers can tug the mind in the direction of arguing with the scores, rather than evaluating the argument used to generate them.
My hope is to encourage people to treat ITN scores just as you say—taking them lightly and setting them aside once they’ve developed a deeper understanding of an issue.
Thanks for reading.