In My Tribe

In My Tribe explores complex societal, political, and economic issues with a focus on skepticism, the importance of epistemology, and the critique of managerial elites and institutional dynamics. It addresses contemporary social debates, including drug policy, gender roles, and the influence of libertarianism, while promoting intellectual discussions.

Societal and Epistemic Analysis Political and Economic Views Drug Policy and Regulation Gender Dynamics in Institutions Racial Perceptions in Legal Systems Generational Cultural Shifts Evolutionary Perspectives on Behavior Managerial Class Critique Cultural and Political Discussions Religious Authority in Modern Societies Financial Regulation Economics and Sociology Political Beliefs Formation Libertarianism Health Insurance Policy

The hottest Substack posts of In My Tribe

And their main takeaways

Steve Levitt on the academic career path

501 implied HN points • 17 Mar 24
🚌 Education
  1. In academia, technical skills and techniques are highly valued, sometimes overshadowing the importance of addressing significant questions and providing practical solutions.
  2. Many academics feel discouraged when their research doesn't have a lasting impact or is not widely read, even top professionals like Steve Levitt have faced this.
  3. There's concern in the academic economics field that the focus on technicality and inward complexity might lead to a decline in stature, similar to what happened with disciplines like anthropology or sociology.

Claude's Shmuck is Bigger!

394 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
💼 Business Technology Industry Trends Mergers Business strategy Machine Learning
  1. In the realm of machine learning, size isn't everything. Intelligence is seen as a continuous process, not just about having the largest model.
  2. Rather than betting on one ultimate model, the future may hold multiple specialized uses for machine learning, like in medicine where different applications can thrive.
  3. Building specific applications in machine learning could be more successful than pursuing a one-size-fits-all approach, as seen in historical business scenarios.

Obvious Business Opportunities

425 implied HN points • 09 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Software Customer Support Robots AI
  1. Addressing technical debt in outdated software systems is a significant business opportunity, especially using new pattern-matching models to optimize and secure old software.
  2. Leveraging large language models (LLMs) for customer support improvement and developing efficient back-office apps for various sectors presents lucrative business prospects.
  3. Special-purpose robots tailored for specific tasks like security or medical procedures offer practical business opportunities compared to humanoid robots.

Links to Consider, 3/14

349 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Reading Sociology Religion Politics
  1. Reading is a skill that needs practice; reading long-form text is important for success in education and work.
  2. There's a need to understand trade-offs in policy-making; some argue for stronger social norms against alcohol and drug use.
  3. The shift towards morality and self-discipline in religions coincided with an increase in affluence and a focus on delayed gratification.
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Links to Consider, 3/15

318 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
  1. Academic careers now have longer paths, making it difficult especially for women who want to have children.
  2. The book 'The Defeat of the West' by Emmanuel Todd discusses Western weaknesses and rejection of Woke culture.
  3. Beliefs that engender myside bias can distort how we interpret new information and prevent society from converging on facts.

Links to Consider, 3/10

318 implied HN points • 10 Mar 24
  1. People are having fewer children nowadays due to more appealing options, not just cultural reasons.
  2. Focusing too much on mental health and emotions can have negative effects, sometimes it's better to focus on others.
  3. Removing disruptive individuals, whether in schools or workplaces, can have a significant positive impact on the environment.

Current Things

926 implied HN points • 27 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Israel Hostages Yemen Presidential Race
  1. Be cautious when trusting third parties to maintain peace in conflict situations.
  2. Avoid prioritizing the lives of hostages to prevent rewarding hostage-taking.
  3. Promote a strong stance against threats to ensure respect and deterrence.

Links to Consider, 3/7

318 implied HN points • 07 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political theory Activism Conservatism Foreign Relations
  1. Girard's mimetic theory explains how desires are often copied from others, leading to a cycle of crisis and scapegoating in communities.
  2. Noah Smith points out the shift in progressive causes towards Palestine, indicating a potential change in the unrest of the 2010s.
  3. Charles Kesler highlights the difference between National Conservatism and American Conservatism in terms of prioritizing individual vs. group rights.

Links to Consider, 3/18

197 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media Industrial Policy Higher education
  1. The perspective that social media is responsible for the prevalence of disinformation is challenged. The era of the mid-twentieth century press was also insular and biased.
  2. There has been a shift in societal values, with the relative importance of a good job increasing in status over having a good family.
  3. The implementation of industrial policy, like the CHIPS Act, is criticized for being slow and laden with DEI-related issues that hinder progress.

LLM Links, 3/11

258 implied HN points • 11 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Generative AI Chatbots Language Models Artificial Intelligence
  1. When prompting AI, consider adding context, using few shot examples, and employing a chain of thought to enhance LLM outputs.
  2. Generative AI like LLMs provide one answer, making the prompt crucial. Personalizing prompts may help tailor results to user preferences.
  3. Anthropic's chatbot Claude showed self-awareness, sparking discussions on AI capabilities and potential use cases like unredacting documents.

Dan Williams on Cooperation

318 implied HN points • 03 Mar 24
📖 Philosophy Human nature Cooperation Social Dynamics
  1. Human cooperation is rooted in reputation management within groups.
  2. Life within a group involves dynamics of competition, conflict, and exploitation, not just friendship.
  3. Achieving cooperation and peace requires complex systems of norms and incentives, not just relying on innate friendliness.

Wright and Wrong Ways to Debate

683 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Debate
  1. Bob's conduct in debates should focus on understanding the other side's motives, not assuming the worst.
  2. Meaningful debates involve explaining and understanding different viewpoints without resorting to personal attacks or asymmetric insights.
  3. Maintain focus on the main issue of the debate and avoid veering off into unrelated topics for a productive discussion.

A Profit-Seeking Government?

425 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Democracy Corruption Political parties Lobbying
  1. Government can be categorized into Limited-Access (L) and Open-Access (O) Orders based on who is allowed to form significant organizations.
  2. In Limited-Access Orders (L), the ruling coalition can extract resources and form organizations, while in Open-Access Orders (O), citizens have the right to form political parties and corporations independently.
  3. Profit-seeking government tends to align with one-party government and can lead to corruption and favoritism, making a competitive, open-access order preferable.

The GDP Indicator

592 implied HN points • 03 Feb 24
💰 Finance Market Trends
  1. GDP is not the best indicator of the economy's health, especially due to factors like healthcare spending.
  2. GDP measures economic activity in markets, which includes specialization and trade.
  3. GDP changes are most meaningful when observed over long periods, not short-term fluctuations.

Links to Consider, 3/4

258 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
🌍 World Politics Israel-Palestine Totalitarianism Protests Civil Liberties
  1. In social justice, the mindset often involves a pattern of one group having agency but lacking feelings, while the other group has feelings but lacks agency.
  2. Smartphones and social media have shifted the internet from a decentralizing force to a centralizing one, enabling control over personal information and public discourse.
  3. The Insurrection Act of 1807 could lead to mass protests and arrests, with responses to such situations risking being condemned as authoritarian or fascist.

Links to Consider, 2/25

318 implied HN points • 25 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Political theory Cultural analysis Economic Impact Religious Studies Government transparency
  1. In some areas, class status is heavily influenced by college education and the prestigious Yankee settled areas.
  2. Martin Gurri envisions a future where the online electorate has more direct engagement in government and information is more transparent.
  3. It's important to consider the long-term effects of defense spending on the economy, as resources might be more beneficial if allocated elsewhere.

Vietnam in the Middle East

683 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Middle East Vietnam War Foreign Policy
  1. In Vietnam War, US officials complained about fighting with restrictions on bombing.
  2. Endemic violence in the Arab Middle East leads to lack of 'solutions' and need for strong state institutions.
  3. Proposed options for dealing with Iran, unpacking the idea of going big or going home.

Links to Consider, 1/26

486 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Education Race Society Books Gender
  1. Some college graduates lack basic skills due to learning deficits and grade inflation.
  2. Cultural inheritance and genetic factors may influence executive function and social mobility.
  3. Economic development impacts societal norms and individualism based on cultural practices like cousin marriage.

Links to Consider, 2/16

288 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Policy Justice Media
  1. Specialization and trade have changed how we interact with others over time, leading to less local solidarity but more wealth.
  2. Publication selection bias impacts different fields like economics and psychology, affecting the presence of certain effects.
  3. Being critical of documentaries and trusting experts with verified beliefs are important in forming opinions on controversial issues.

Links to Consider, 2/22

243 implied HN points • 22 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Ethics Knowledge Metaphysics Idealism
  1. The concept of equalitarianism promotes the idea that groups are equal, but in reality, this ideology leads to harmful outcomes and false narratives.
  2. Traditional economic measurements may not fully account for unpaid work like caregiving, which can distort GDP calculations and signify the need for broader economic perspectives.
  3. Philosophy, unlike settled scientific areas, remains a field of exploration for unresolved questions, making classic philosophical texts important for contemplating ongoing uncertainties.

Links to Consider, 2/18

243 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Misinformation Libertarianism Political Beliefs Elite Institutions
  1. Misinformation experts can be biased and self-serving when classifying content, leading to selective communication in modern democracies.
  2. The social consensus on freedom can be fragile, with liberties suddenly deemed 'Problematic' by media outlets.
  3. Political beliefs are often about tribal alignment rather than logical reasoning, making persuasion through reason challenging.

A Walk and Talk

364 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
🏝 Travel Outdoors Adventure Socializing Physical activity Location
  1. Consider implementing a walk-and-talk activity to engage in intense conversations in a new environment.
  2. Plan logistics for the walk such as staying in a hotel, carrying belongings in a van, and driving the van in rotation.
  3. Adjust the walk to suit personal preferences, like duration, location, terrain, and meal preferences.

LLM links

136 implied HN points • 06 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Robotics Customer Service Language Models Artificial Intelligence
  1. Chatbots like Gemini can reflect biases based on data sources - having diverse datasets can prevent skewed outcomes.
  2. Human brains and Large Language Models (LLMs) share similarities in predicting and processing information.
  3. AI assistants like Klarna's are proving effective in handling customer service inquiries, improving efficiency, and customer experience.

Links to Consider

273 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Gender divide Trump Supporters Border crisis
  1. There is promise in people with different political views engaging romantically, as it can lead to new ideas and perspectives.
  2. Trump supporters are motivated by a desire to find competent leadership and feel a sense of cultural pride.
  3. The decline in fertility rates can be attributed to changing societal perceptions of children and the burdens associated with parenting.

Links to Consider

394 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Education Government Non-profit Bureaucracy
  1. American colleges and universities have traditionally been prestigious, but recent actions have diminished their value, creating opportunities for disruption.
  2. The surge in new business formation in the US, following the pandemic, showcases the adaptability and innovation of American capitalism.
  3. Complex social problems require precise knowledge for effective solutions, and both government interventions and social activism may fall short in addressing them.

LLM Links, 2/24

167 implied HN points • 24 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Customer Relations
  1. Efficient search tools like Arc Search could change how we browse the web, potentially impacting content providers. It's important to consider the implications of relying heavily on large language models for search.
  2. Sierra.ai aims to revolutionize customer relations with an AI agent that can handle complex interactions and customer inquiries effectively. This could improve customer satisfaction and the quality of customer service.
  3. FutureSearch's forecasting bot impresses with its ability to identify important factors, calculate base rates, and show its work, demonstrating transparency and reliability.

Links to Consider, 2/6

243 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
🚌 Education Philosophy Schooling
  1. Mark Mills raises concerns about the environmental impact of electric vehicles.
  2. Zvi Mowshowitz advocates for grade skipping in education for better outcomes.
  3. Peter Gray argues for reducing the role of coercive schooling to promote children's passionate interests.

LLM Links, 2/15

182 implied HN points • 15 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Robots Software Language Models
  1. Bill Gates supports building general-purpose humanoid robots capable of multiple tasks, modeling them after people.
  2. Mark McNeilly predicts that AI will seduce humans rather than destroy us, leading to a decline in human interaction.
  3. There is potential to use large language models for tasks like contract reviews in legal and financial sectors, but resistance to fully relying on AI in certain professions may persist.

Links to Consider, 2/13

182 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
🚌 Education Beliefs Institutions Parenting Schools Reform
  1. Individuals may prioritize social rewards over truth in belief adoption, leading to collective delusions. It's hard to overcome irrationality at the individual or group level, so focusing on institutional change is crucial.
  2. There is a pattern in how some view different races, depicted by Coleman Hughes in his book. This mirrors the concept of the Moral Dyad, simplifying moral situations to assign feelings or agency.
  3. Challenges in education include the negative impact of excessive parental spending on education. To promote equality, the idea of a luxury estate tax on high-tuition schools was proposed years ago and still holds potential.

Trump, the Ballot, and the State of Exception

379 implied HN points • 07 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political theory Elections Sovereignty Governance
  1. In extreme cases of emergency, the law may not be able to handle the situation effectively.
  2. Political officials in some states are making decisions that can be seen as declaring a 'state of exception.'
  3. The issue of sovereignty and decision-making power has been a point of contention during crises like the 2020 election and the COVID pandemic.

Links to Consider

379 implied HN points • 06 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Media Academia Free speech
  1. Unsolicited advice can create resentment if not asked for.
  2. Articles are graded on engagement with opposing viewpoints.
  3. University presidents may face increased accountability and scrutiny in light of recent events.

Links to Consider

349 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🚌 Education Leadership Non-profit Ideology Critical Thinking
  1. The key to effective leadership is genuinely caring about your subordinates, not just pretending to care.
  2. Comparing profit-seeking businesses with non-profits, profit-seeking businesses are more incentivized to solve customer problems than non-profits are to create benefits that exceed costs.
  3. Wokism stems from the equality thesis of race and sex differences and a background of Christian morality, leading to challenges in discussing disparities and natural differences among groups.