The first thing you should probably do is narrow down what specifically you feel like you may be brainwashed about. I posted some possible sample things below. Since you mention Messianic groupthink as a specific concern, some of these will relate to Yudkowsky, and some of them are Less Wrong versions of cult related control questions. (Things that are associated with cultishness in general, just rephrased to be Less Wrongish)
Do you/Have you:
1: Signed up for Cyonics.
2: Agressively donated to MIRI.
3: Check for updates on HPMOR more often then Yudkowsky said there would be on the off hand chance he updated early.
4: Gone to meet ups.
5: Went out of your way to see Eliezer Yudkowsky in person.
6: Spend time thinking, when not on Less Wrong: “That reminds me of Less Wrong/Eliezer Yudkowsky.”
7: Played an AI Box experiment with money on the line.
8: Attempted to engage in a quantified self experiment.
9: Cut yourself off from friends because they seem irrational.
10: Stopped consulting other sources outside of Less Wrong.
11: Spent money on a product recommended by someone with high Karma (Example: Metamed)
12: Tried to recruit other people to Less Wrong and felt negatively if they declined.
13: Written rationalist fanfiction.
14: Decided to become polyamorous.
15: Feel as if you have sinned any time you receive even a single downvote.
16: Gone out of your way to adopt Less Wrong styled phrasing in dialogue with people that don’t even follow the site.
For instance, after reviewing that list, I increased my certainty I was not brainwashed by Less Wrong because there are a lot of those I haven’t done or don’t do, but I also know which questions are explicitly cult related, so I’m biased. Some of these I don’t even currently know anyone on the site who would say yes to them.
I’m in the process of doing 1, have maybe done 2 depending on your definition of aggressively (made only a couple donations, but largest was ~$1000), and done 4.
Oh, and 11, I got Amazon Prime on Yvain’s recommendation, and started taking melatonin on gwern’s. Both excellent decisions, I think.
And 14, sort of. I once got talked into a “polyamorous relationship” by a woman I was sleeping with, no connection whatsoever to LessWrong. But mostly I just have casual sex and avoid relationships entirely.
The first thing you should probably do is narrow down what specifically you feel like you may be brainwashed about. I posted some possible sample things below. Since you mention Messianic groupthink as a specific concern, some of these will relate to Yudkowsky, and some of them are Less Wrong versions of cult related control questions. (Things that are associated with cultishness in general, just rephrased to be Less Wrongish)
Do you/Have you:
1: Signed up for Cyonics.
2: Agressively donated to MIRI.
3: Check for updates on HPMOR more often then Yudkowsky said there would be on the off hand chance he updated early.
4: Gone to meet ups.
5: Went out of your way to see Eliezer Yudkowsky in person.
6: Spend time thinking, when not on Less Wrong: “That reminds me of Less Wrong/Eliezer Yudkowsky.”
7: Played an AI Box experiment with money on the line.
8: Attempted to engage in a quantified self experiment.
9: Cut yourself off from friends because they seem irrational.
10: Stopped consulting other sources outside of Less Wrong.
11: Spent money on a product recommended by someone with high Karma (Example: Metamed)
12: Tried to recruit other people to Less Wrong and felt negatively if they declined.
13: Written rationalist fanfiction.
14: Decided to become polyamorous.
15: Feel as if you have sinned any time you receive even a single downvote.
16: Gone out of your way to adopt Less Wrong styled phrasing in dialogue with people that don’t even follow the site.
For instance, after reviewing that list, I increased my certainty I was not brainwashed by Less Wrong because there are a lot of those I haven’t done or don’t do, but I also know which questions are explicitly cult related, so I’m biased. Some of these I don’t even currently know anyone on the site who would say yes to them.
No
I’m a top 20 donor
Nope
yes.
Not really? That was probably some motivation for going to a mincamp but not most of it.
Nope.
Nope.
a tiny amount? I’ve tracked weight throughout diet changes.
Not that I can think of. Certainly no one closer than a random facebook friend.
Nope.
I’ve spent money on Modafinil after it’s been recommended on here. I could count Melatonin but my dad told me about that years ago.
Yes.
Nope.
I was in an open relationship before I ever heard of Leswrong.
HAHAHAHAHAH no.
This one is hard to analyze, I’ve talked about EM hell and so on outside of the context of Lesswrong. Dunno.
Seriously considering moving to the bay area.
I’m in the process of doing 1, have maybe done 2 depending on your definition of aggressively (made only a couple donations, but largest was ~$1000), and done 4.
Oh, and 11, I got Amazon Prime on Yvain’s recommendation, and started taking melatonin on gwern’s. Both excellent decisions, I think.
And 14, sort of. I once got talked into a “polyamorous relationship” by a woman I was sleeping with, no connection whatsoever to LessWrong. But mostly I just have casual sex and avoid relationships entirely.
… huh. I’m a former meetup organizer and I don’t even score higher than two on that list.
Cool. I think maybe we’re not a cult today.
Good. I score 5 out of 16 by interpreting each point the broadest reasonably possible way.
Beware: you’ve created a lesswrong purity test.