If you’re a “people-hater” who is able to easily self-modify, why do you still “hate” people? Are you sure you’re not rationalizing the usefulness of your dislike of others? What do you find yourself saying to yourself and others about what being a “people-hater” achieves for you. Are there other ways for you to achieve those without hating people? What do you find yourself saying to yourself and others about why it’s hard to change? What if in a group of 20+ people interested in rationality, someone has a cool trick you haven’t tried?
Even if you’re 90% sure you should hate people, you’re 10% sure you shouldn’t. Supposing you were wrong, what would it be worth to you, e.g. in hours of happiness or positive effects on others, integrated over the rest of your life, to find that out? You’d have an interesting chance of finding that out immersed for a few days in a group of people who could produce interesting arguments for both sides of the issue.
I say this as someone who used to dislike people a lot, changed on purpose, and am now happier and doing better for it ;)
ETA But I think I see what Anna is saying about not attending if you hate being near people...
I don’t actually hate people, I’m just very averse towards socializing with unfamiliar people in that sort of environment described, and was just paraphrasing that same point for emphasis.
They will swiftly become familiar people. If you think that spending three days around two dozen people would be a terrible experience, then I recommend against applying; if you just consider yourself not very social, I recommend applying.
If you’re a “people-hater” who is able to easily self-modify, why do you still “hate” people? Are you sure you’re not rationalizing the usefulness of your dislike of others? What do you find yourself saying to yourself and others about what being a “people-hater” achieves for you. Are there other ways for you to achieve those without hating people? What do you find yourself saying to yourself and others about why it’s hard to change? What if in a group of 20+ people interested in rationality, someone has a cool trick you haven’t tried?
Even if you’re 90% sure you should hate people, you’re 10% sure you shouldn’t. Supposing you were wrong, what would it be worth to you, e.g. in hours of happiness or positive effects on others, integrated over the rest of your life, to find that out? You’d have an interesting chance of finding that out immersed for a few days in a group of people who could produce interesting arguments for both sides of the issue.
I say this as someone who used to dislike people a lot, changed on purpose, and am now happier and doing better for it ;)
ETA But I think I see what Anna is saying about not attending if you hate being near people...
I don’t actually hate people, I’m just very averse towards socializing with unfamiliar people in that sort of environment described, and was just paraphrasing that same point for emphasis.
They will swiftly become familiar people. If you think that spending three days around two dozen people would be a terrible experience, then I recommend against applying; if you just consider yourself not very social, I recommend applying.