I think where it is helpful is in overcoming intimidation. For example, one of the best behavior changes I’ve made this year is in reaching out to strangers, both through the LW/EA community, and in the grad schools I’ve been applying to. I’ve gotten more value out of those few hours of conversation than almost anything else I’ve learned in the last year.
But it took a certain level of cerebral understanding in advance that this isn’t an imposition, but rather a way for both myself and the other person to build trust with each other. It’s a way to start iterating on that much earlier than if we had to wait to meet in person. It leads to unpredictable but strong opportunities later. Zoom is not built into the elephant-mind, so having an intellectual understanding of how to apply these principles to our weird digital social world can actually be really helpful.
I think where it is helpful is in overcoming intimidation. For example, one of the best behavior changes I’ve made this year is in reaching out to strangers, both through the LW/EA community, and in the grad schools I’ve been applying to. I’ve gotten more value out of those few hours of conversation than almost anything else I’ve learned in the last year.
But it took a certain level of cerebral understanding in advance that this isn’t an imposition, but rather a way for both myself and the other person to build trust with each other. It’s a way to start iterating on that much earlier than if we had to wait to meet in person. It leads to unpredictable but strong opportunities later. Zoom is not built into the elephant-mind, so having an intellectual understanding of how to apply these principles to our weird digital social world can actually be really helpful.