I’m not comfortable with emotional appeal myself—that’s not what I respond to personally. The same goes for the core participants of Intentional Insights. However, we’re aware of the typical mind fallacy, and the large majority of the population is not like us. Like any science popularizers—think of Bill Nye or Neil DeGrasse Tyson—we’re trying to speak to the broad population, and there’s some evidence we are getting through (see the last sections of this document).
Regarding the style of LW, I hear what you’re saying. I think it’s important to note that the goal of InIn is not primarily to cultivate Less Wrongers, but to raise the sanity waterline broadly. If we can spread good memes from Less Wrong, then we’ve done our primary job. We do aim, as a secondary component of our work, to cultivate people into aspiring rationalists and effective altruists, and in fact we have already had some accomplishments there, with people starting to read the Sequences, donate effectively, etc.
Thanks for the suggestion on the magazine, will check it out!
Appreciate your insightful commentary!
I’m not comfortable with emotional appeal myself—that’s not what I respond to personally. The same goes for the core participants of Intentional Insights. However, we’re aware of the typical mind fallacy, and the large majority of the population is not like us. Like any science popularizers—think of Bill Nye or Neil DeGrasse Tyson—we’re trying to speak to the broad population, and there’s some evidence we are getting through (see the last sections of this document).
Regarding the style of LW, I hear what you’re saying. I think it’s important to note that the goal of InIn is not primarily to cultivate Less Wrongers, but to raise the sanity waterline broadly. If we can spread good memes from Less Wrong, then we’ve done our primary job. We do aim, as a secondary component of our work, to cultivate people into aspiring rationalists and effective altruists, and in fact we have already had some accomplishments there, with people starting to read the Sequences, donate effectively, etc.
Thanks for the suggestion on the magazine, will check it out!