As a thought, could it be that one of the major obstacles standing in the way of the creation of a “rationality dojo” is the public perception (however inaccurate) that such already exists in not just one but multiple forms?
In 2009 there were no rationality dojo’s but today there are multiple one’s in different cities.
Take the average high school debate club as one example: participants are expected to learn to give a reasoned argument, and to avoid fallacious reasoning while recognizing it in their opponents.
Debate in clubs like this is about finding good arguments, it’s not about finding out which side is right.
In 2009 there were no rationality dojo’s but today there are multiple one’s in different cities.
I’m new here, and I still have a great deal of content to catch up on reading, so it would be helpful if you could clarify: are you here referring to the Less Wrong meetup groups as “rationality dojos”, or something else which has been created to fill this void since 2009?
Debate in clubs like this is about finding good arguments, it’s not about finding out which side is right.
I thought I had been very careful to draw a clear distinction between what such clubs are about and actual rationality, while still contending that the perception of the average person (the non-rationalist) is that they are the same. Was I unclear? And, if so, how could I have been more clear than I was?
are you here referring to the Less Wrong meetup groups as “rationality dojos”, or something else which has been created to fill this void since 2009?
I’m not referring to regular meetups.
CFAR started having a weekly event they called a dojo. Given that blueprint other cities have started a similar groups.
In Berlin we have a weekly dojo. Austrialia seems to have a montly dojo in Melbourne and in Sydney.
Ohio also has a dojo: http://rationality-dojo.com/
I thought I had been very careful to draw a clear distinction between what such clubs are about and actual rationality, while still contending that the perception of the average person (the non-rationalist) is that they are the same
Okay. I should have been more clear. It doesn’t matter what the average person thinks. A group doesn’t need the average person to become a member to be successful. There just need to be enough people who care enough about the idea to become a member. If a group provides value to it’s members and the members tell other people about it, it can grow.
Thank you for clarifying. I wasn’t aware of those, and to be honest they seem a bit difficult to find information about via Less Wrong as a new reader. Meetups are publicized in the sidebar, but nothing about these dojos. Not even under the About section’s extensive list of links. Which surprises me, if the creation of these dojos was a goal of Eliezer’s from his very first blog post here.
If appeal to those who already care about rationality, followed by word of mouth advertising, is the approach that the dojos have decided to take rather than a more general appeal to the populace as part of raising the sanity waterline, then I concede the point.
In 2009 there were no rationality dojo’s but today there are multiple one’s in different cities.
Debate in clubs like this is about finding good arguments, it’s not about finding out which side is right.
I’m new here, and I still have a great deal of content to catch up on reading, so it would be helpful if you could clarify: are you here referring to the Less Wrong meetup groups as “rationality dojos”, or something else which has been created to fill this void since 2009?
I thought I had been very careful to draw a clear distinction between what such clubs are about and actual rationality, while still contending that the perception of the average person (the non-rationalist) is that they are the same. Was I unclear? And, if so, how could I have been more clear than I was?
I’m not referring to regular meetups.
CFAR started having a weekly event they called a dojo. Given that blueprint other cities have started a similar groups.
In Berlin we have a weekly dojo. Austrialia seems to have a montly dojo in Melbourne and in Sydney. Ohio also has a dojo: http://rationality-dojo.com/
Okay. I should have been more clear. It doesn’t matter what the average person thinks. A group doesn’t need the average person to become a member to be successful. There just need to be enough people who care enough about the idea to become a member. If a group provides value to it’s members and the members tell other people about it, it can grow.
Thank you for clarifying. I wasn’t aware of those, and to be honest they seem a bit difficult to find information about via Less Wrong as a new reader. Meetups are publicized in the sidebar, but nothing about these dojos. Not even under the About section’s extensive list of links. Which surprises me, if the creation of these dojos was a goal of Eliezer’s from his very first blog post here.
If appeal to those who already care about rationality, followed by word of mouth advertising, is the approach that the dojos have decided to take rather than a more general appeal to the populace as part of raising the sanity waterline, then I concede the point.