Rationality like a martial art
In Rationality, From A to Z, Eliezer Yudkowsky often describes how rationality (more or less what I call Probabilistic Thinking) can be like a martial art. It is an interesting comparison, though I don’t know if I agree with all parts of it.
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“Why are there schools of martial arts, but not rationality dojos? (This was the first question I asked in my first blog post.) Is it more important to hit people than to think? No, but it’s easier to verify when you have hit someone. That’s part of it, a highly central part.” (Eliezer Yudkowsky, Rationality)
Rationality like a martial art, Easier to build an education system when the goals are clear and measurable
“If for many years you practice the techniques and submit yourself to strict constraints, it may be that you will glimpse the center. Then you will see how all techniques are one technique, and you will move correctly without feeling constrained. Musashi wrote: “When you appreciate the power of nature, knowing the rhythm of any situation, you will be able to hit the enemy naturally and strike naturally. All this is the Way of the Void.”” (Eliezer Yudkowsky, Rationality)
“Why are there schools of martial arts, but not rationality dojos? (This was the first question I asked in my first blog post.) Is it more important to hit people than to think? No, but it’s easier to verify when you have hit someone. That’s part of it, a highly central part.” (Eliezer Yudkowsky, Rationality)
Rationality like a martial art, Easier to build an education system when the goals are clear and measurable
“If for many years you practice the techniques and submit yourself to strict constraints, it may be that you will glimpse the center. Then you will see how all techniques are one technique, and you will move correctly without feeling constrained. Musashi wrote: “When you appreciate the power of nature, knowing the rhythm of any situation, you will be able to hit the enemy naturally and strike naturally. All this is the Way of the Void.”” (Eliezer Yudkowsky, Rationality)