The reticence many LWers feel about the term “rationalist” stems from a paradox: it feels like a status-grab and low-status at the same time.
It’s a status grab because LW can feel like an exclusive club. Plenty of people say they feel like they can hardly understand the writings here, and that they’d feel intimidated to comment, let alone post. Since I think most of us who participate in this community wish that everybody would be more into being rational and that it wasn’t an exclusive club, this feels unfortunate.
It’s low status because it sounds cultish. Being part of the blogosphere is a weird hobby by many people’s standards, like being into model railroad construction. It has “alt-something” vibes. And identifying with a weird identity, especially a serious one, can provoke anxiety. Heck, identifying with a mainstream identity can provoke anxiety. Just being anything except whatever’s thoroughly conventional among your in-group risks being low-status, because if it wasn’t, the high-status people would be doing it.
The nice thing about “rationalist” is that it’s one word and everybody kinda knows what it means. “Less Wronger” is also short but you have to explain it. “Aspiring rationalist” is cute but too long. Tough nut to crack.
The nice thing about “rationalist” is that it’s one word and everybody kinda knows what it means.
Everybody in our community knows what it means but people outside of our community frequently think that it’s about what philosophers call rationality.
Status and Being a “Rationalist”
The reticence many LWers feel about the term “rationalist” stems from a paradox: it feels like a status-grab and low-status at the same time.
It’s a status grab because LW can feel like an exclusive club. Plenty of people say they feel like they can hardly understand the writings here, and that they’d feel intimidated to comment, let alone post. Since I think most of us who participate in this community wish that everybody would be more into being rational and that it wasn’t an exclusive club, this feels unfortunate.
It’s low status because it sounds cultish. Being part of the blogosphere is a weird hobby by many people’s standards, like being into model railroad construction. It has “alt-something” vibes. And identifying with a weird identity, especially a serious one, can provoke anxiety. Heck, identifying with a mainstream identity can provoke anxiety. Just being anything except whatever’s thoroughly conventional among your in-group risks being low-status, because if it wasn’t, the high-status people would be doing it.
The nice thing about “rationalist” is that it’s one word and everybody kinda knows what it means. “Less Wronger” is also short but you have to explain it. “Aspiring rationalist” is cute but too long. Tough nut to crack.
Everybody in our community knows what it means but people outside of our community frequently think that it’s about what philosophers call rationality.