“to compare, teaching critical thinking at universities actually does not increase the critical thinking abilities of the students”
That’s sad to hear.
Thank you for the advice. My primary concern is definitely to establish more rational habits. And then also to learn how to better learn.
Right, that’s a good example. And then the normal people stigmatize that sort of thing, as if Montessori kids are weird.
Good points. I guess why I’m ultimately interested in education is that these individual inclinations begin early, and one can foster them or beat them out, as with curiosity. I could see why outreach for adults would be more difficult. And of course if a child benefits from an EA intervention, then they might become more interested in their own education if they have rationalist role models, and so on and so on until they discover rationality of their own accord.
“No, I don’t think so. Self-reported IQs from a self-selected group have a bias. I’ll let you guess in which direction :-)”
Of course, but I guess that I would expect a site helping its members to “Overcome Bias” would provide more trustworthy data! :)
Thank you (for the information)!
Yeah, I had a psychologist do a full battery of tests to determine if I did indeed have ADD. (Isn’t it funny how regular physicians can just prescribe you drugs as a kid for behavioral/mental conditions?!)
I feel like I have heard of the Harry Potter fanfic before, also oddly enough tied to my memory of the SSA conference where CFAR had a table… Hmm.
As far as professorships go, I study German where any tenure-track job will have dozens upon dozens of applicants. I also study Classics. I’m more interested in education in general and pedagogy, and actually being in the classroom. I used to be a stage actor, and I always liked giving in-class presentations, and people tell me I am preternaturally talented at that.
It’s intellectually stimulating half the time; when you’re reading turgid academic prose for the other half, that’s when I’m not sure what I enjoy writing is actually publishable and if it would make a difference. I know 80,000 Hours talks about how the job doesn’t have to provide meaning, but I think I would prefer that whatever I do for 40, 50, 60 hours a week indeed would provide that. For example, I looked into App Academy, and I know Buck is a member here, but I’m not sure I could spend my work life sitting down and looking at a computer screen, though that’s just a personal preference of course (even considering that I could make way more money than being a professor and be able to donate much more).
Basically my concern is that the way we raise and educate children is simply blind inheritance, and a vicious cycle of parents punishing children and teachers punishing students because that’s what happened to them. The fact that we still have classrooms where rows of desks face a teacher in the front of a classroom, preserving the environment that has existed for centuries is so absurd to me. We accept these traditions, and don’t stop to think, “hey, maybe we could do this differently.”
I discovered SSC and LW a ~couple months ago, from (I think) a Startpage search which led me to Scott’s lengthy article on IQ. Only browsed for a while, but last night rediscovered this after I read Doing Good Better and went to the EA website. I remember CFAR from a Secular Student Alliance conference two years ago.
I like Scott’s writing, but I have no hard science training unfortunately.
I have realized that I’ve become rather used to my comfort zone, and have sort of let my innate intelligence stagnate, when I like to think it still has room to grow. I had psychological testing six years ago that put my IQ at 131 which, if I interpret the survey results correctly, puts me near the bottom of this community? Despite that, I find the philosophical elements of Yudkowsky fascinating [not so much the more mathematical stuff]. At least, this site has made me sit at a computer longer than I’m accustomed to.
It seems from EY’s writing that LW wanted to be a homogeneous community of like-minded (in both senses) people, but I am curious to what extent rationalists engage in outreach (other than CFAR I guess) towards more average individuals. Because that changes how one writes. Or is there a tacit resignation that more average people just won’t care or grok it; that smarter individuals should focus on their own personal growth and happiness? But then I remember Scott’s writing and seeming compassion, and also the percentage of users who are social-democratic, so it seems like there would be higher demand for actually communicating with the outgroup.
I entered the humanities because I wanted to be a professor and I like to write, I like foreign languages, didn’t think I would be interested in heavier things (took some psychology and philosophy as a postbac) but now I’m too far into my MA where I’m not sure I could get into an additional Master’s program in something meaty and then pursue a better, more intellectually stimulating career.
Ultimately I just want to teach and “help” people. So, that’s where I’m at. I read/skimmed DGB yesterday in one sitting while in the middle of yet another existential depression that my shrink thinks was caused by going off an opioid. I can’t remember the last time I consumed a book in one sitting.
This was longer than I intended. Thank you.
Haha, yes indeed.