I think of applied rationality pretty narrowly, as the skill of applying reasoning norms that maximize returns (those norms happening to have the standard name “rationality”). Of course there’s a lot to that, but I also think this framing is a poor one to train all the skills required to “win”. To use a metaphor, as requested, it’s like the skill of getting really good at reading a map to find optimal paths between points: your life will be better for it, but it also doesn’t teach you everything, like how to figure out where you are on the map now or where you might want to go.
I think of applied rationality pretty narrowly, as the skill of applying reasoning norms that maximize returns (those norms happening to have the standard name “rationality”). Of course there’s a lot to that, but I also think this framing is a poor one to train all the skills required to “win”. To use a metaphor, as requested, it’s like the skill of getting really good at reading a map to find optimal paths between points: your life will be better for it, but it also doesn’t teach you everything, like how to figure out where you are on the map now or where you might want to go.