What’s fascinating about this is the conflict between two intelligentsia on opposite coasts. Both seem truth seeking and worthy of respect, but are in a contest whose nature and stakes seem unacknowledged.
For what it’s worth, I got the opposite impression. I think neither side is particularly truth-seeking, and much more out to “win” rather than be deeply concerned with what is true. My own experience during the whole SSC/NYT affair was to get very indignant and follow @balajis* (who I’ve since muted), a tech personality with a crusade against tech journalism, and reading him only helped amplify my sense of zealotry against conventional media. On reflection this was very far from my ideals or behaviors I’d like to have going forwards, and I consider my behavior then moderately large evidence against my own truth-seeking.
I think the SSC/NYT event was a fitting culmination of the Toxoplasma of Rage that SSC itself warned us about, and some members of our movement, myself included, was nontrivially corrupted by external bad faith actors (on both sides).
* To be clear this is not a condemnation of him as a person or for his work or anything, just his Twitter personality.
It seems like you are describing a difficult personal experience. I think the rationalist community and Scott Alexander are altruistic and virtuous, so it seems having been involved/going through the journey in the way I think you are describing would make anyone indignant.
I did not have the same experience with this incident but I have had beliefs and made many poor decisions I have regretted, in very different domains/places, almost certainly with much worse epistemics than you.
For what it’s worth, I got the opposite impression. I think neither side is particularly truth-seeking, and much more out to “win” rather than be deeply concerned with what is true. My own experience during the whole SSC/NYT affair was to get very indignant and follow @balajis* (who I’ve since muted), a tech personality with a crusade against tech journalism, and reading him only helped amplify my sense of zealotry against conventional media. On reflection this was very far from my ideals or behaviors I’d like to have going forwards, and I consider my behavior then moderately large evidence against my own truth-seeking.
I think the SSC/NYT event was a fitting culmination of the Toxoplasma of Rage that SSC itself warned us about, and some members of our movement, myself included, was nontrivially corrupted by external bad faith actors (on both sides).
* To be clear this is not a condemnation of him as a person or for his work or anything, just his Twitter personality.
It seems like you are describing a difficult personal experience. I think the rationalist community and Scott Alexander are altruistic and virtuous, so it seems having been involved/going through the journey in the way I think you are describing would make anyone indignant.
I did not have the same experience with this incident but I have had beliefs and made many poor decisions I have regretted, in very different domains/places, almost certainly with much worse epistemics than you.