This really resonated with me. My instinctive reaction was that what you mean by Different Types of People is first D&D Alignment (Lawful-Chaotic, Good-Evil), and second personality type (Big Five/Myers Briggs). Is this closer to what you mean, or are you more focusing on skill specialization? What do you think Type X of rationality people consists of, and can anything be done to increase this kind of diversity?
Separate comment disagreeing with your last sentence on “rationality as a whole”:
I have the notion that rationality doesn’t belong to the rationality community. Rationality is systematized winning. It isn’t any single set of teachings or professions of belief. The rationality community is just one of many groups of people who explicitly aspire to win systematically—perhaps even the one that has gotten the farthest towards the Way, but nevertheless a community of aspiring rationalists. Real rationalists are people who win systematically. If you want to learn real rationality, look to the Elon Musks of the world, even if they don’t wear LessWrong badges.
What I originally meant does align more with skillsets. A healthy community has people who fill all the roles a community needs. Hosting, cooking, debating, organizing, leading, etc. An ideal community ALSO has people who fill roles the community MEMBERS need (helping fix your roof, providing childcare, medical consultation for simple things, etc)
We have people who like to blog and program. Not super helpful if you want someone to help plan/ set up your garden.
Things COULD be done to increase diversity along these lines I suppose, but they probably shouldn’t. It trades off against other values that are held in too high regard here. My recommendation is to get your “healthy community” needs met elsewhere.
I agree that rationality doesn’t belong to the rationality community. The five-minute yoda timer meant I wasn’t super-clear that I think the last sentence is an erroneous belief.
This really resonated with me. My instinctive reaction was that what you mean by Different Types of People is first D&D Alignment (Lawful-Chaotic, Good-Evil), and second personality type (Big Five/Myers Briggs). Is this closer to what you mean, or are you more focusing on skill specialization? What do you think Type X of rationality people consists of, and can anything be done to increase this kind of diversity?
Separate comment disagreeing with your last sentence on “rationality as a whole”:
I have the notion that rationality doesn’t belong to the rationality community. Rationality is systematized winning. It isn’t any single set of teachings or professions of belief. The rationality community is just one of many groups of people who explicitly aspire to win systematically—perhaps even the one that has gotten the farthest towards the Way, but nevertheless a community of aspiring rationalists. Real rationalists are people who win systematically. If you want to learn real rationality, look to the Elon Musks of the world, even if they don’t wear LessWrong badges.
What I originally meant does align more with skillsets. A healthy community has people who fill all the roles a community needs. Hosting, cooking, debating, organizing, leading, etc. An ideal community ALSO has people who fill roles the community MEMBERS need (helping fix your roof, providing childcare, medical consultation for simple things, etc)
We have people who like to blog and program. Not super helpful if you want someone to help plan/ set up your garden.
Things COULD be done to increase diversity along these lines I suppose, but they probably shouldn’t. It trades off against other values that are held in too high regard here. My recommendation is to get your “healthy community” needs met elsewhere.
I agree that rationality doesn’t belong to the rationality community. The five-minute yoda timer meant I wasn’t super-clear that I think the last sentence is an erroneous belief.