This is a somewhat weird question, but like, how do I do that?
I’ve noticed multiple communities fall into the meta-trap, and even when members notice it can be difficult to escape. While the solution is simply to “stop being meta”, that is much harder said than done.
When I noticed this happening in a community I am central in organizing I pushed back by bringing my own focus to output instead of process hoping others would follow suit. This has worked somewhat and we’re definitely on a better track. I wonder what dynamics lead to this ‘death by meta’ syndrome, and if there is a cure.
When you’re actually a little curious, you might start by using a search engine to find a decent answer to your question. At least, if it’s the sort of question for which that would work. Maybe even look for a book to read?
But, maybe we should acknowledge that much of the time we aren’t actually curious and are just engaging in conversation for enjoyment? In that case, cheering on others who make an effort to research things and linking to their work is probably the best you can do. Even if you’re not actually curious, you can notice people who are, and you can look for content that’s actually about concrete things.
For example, my curiosity about the history of politics in Turkey is limited, so while I did read Scott Alexander’s recent book review and some responses with interest, I’m not planning on reading an actual book on it. I don’t think he’s all that curious either, since he just read one book, but that’s going further than me.
For me, this perfectly hits the nail on the head.
This is a somewhat weird question, but like, how do I do that?
I’ve noticed multiple communities fall into the meta-trap, and even when members notice it can be difficult to escape. While the solution is simply to “stop being meta”, that is much harder said than done.
When I noticed this happening in a community I am central in organizing I pushed back by bringing my own focus to output instead of process hoping others would follow suit. This has worked somewhat and we’re definitely on a better track. I wonder what dynamics lead to this ‘death by meta’ syndrome, and if there is a cure.
When you’re actually a little curious, you might start by using a search engine to find a decent answer to your question. At least, if it’s the sort of question for which that would work. Maybe even look for a book to read?
But, maybe we should acknowledge that much of the time we aren’t actually curious and are just engaging in conversation for enjoyment? In that case, cheering on others who make an effort to research things and linking to their work is probably the best you can do. Even if you’re not actually curious, you can notice people who are, and you can look for content that’s actually about concrete things.
For example, my curiosity about the history of politics in Turkey is limited, so while I did read Scott Alexander’s recent book review and some responses with interest, I’m not planning on reading an actual book on it. I don’t think he’s all that curious either, since he just read one book, but that’s going further than me.