The hottest Rationality Substack posts right now

The Best of Don't Worry About the Vase

thezvi • 1338 implied HN points • 13 Dec 23

🚌 Education Rationality COVID

The blog covers a wide range of topics from rationality to AI, housing policy, fertility, and gaming.
The author emphasizes the importance of rationality and provides resources for further reading on the topic.
The blog highlights select evergreen posts that are still relevant and worth reading today.

Design Intuition

Software Design: Tidy First? • 2432 implied HN points • 22 Aug 23

🕹 Technology Design Software Intuition Rationality

When designing software, prioritize safety of evolution over efficiency.
Don't rush decisions; it's better to wait for more information to make informed choices.
Getting feedback early and making design changes sooner is more valuable than waiting for the 'perfect' solution.

A View of the Religious from the Outside

David Friedman’s Substack • 233 implied HN points • 05 Dec 23

⛪ Faith & Spirituality Religion Rationality Beliefs Science Philosophy

People can hold weird religious beliefs and still be competent in the real world.
Religions serve the purpose of explaining physical reality and life's meaning.
Religious individuals are less likely to believe in occult and paranormal phenomena compared to non-religious individuals.

In Praise of Passivity

Fake Noûs • 272 implied HN points • 23 Sep 23

📖 Philosophy Knowledge Values Rationality Social theory

History shows that solutions without proper knowledge often do more harm than good.
Public ignorance and the dismissal of expert advice are major obstacles in policymaking.
Rational ignorance, lack of clear motives, and the complexity of social issues contribute to our inability to effectively address societal problems.

Why Are We The Way We Are?

The Prism • 86 implied HN points • 03 Aug 23

📖 Philosophy Identity Rationality Morality Social Dynamics Human nature

Intelligence does not always lead to pursuing intelligent goals.
Having a PhD does not guarantee being right; it can just mean being skilled at being wrong.
Humans evolved to be tribal, which can lead to polarization online in the Digital Age.

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How to Learn From What Didn’t Happen

Unfashionable • 30 implied HN points • 10 Oct 23

📖 Philosophy Ideas Perspectives Rationality Epistemology

Essays on "how to think" may lack a strict path to truth but offer valuable heuristics.
Reading old books can help broaden perspectives by recognizing implicit assumptions in our worldviews.
Examining intended but unrealized outcomes, as seen in historical examples, can provide valuable insights into complex systems.

Introduction to Rationality and Risk

Extropic Thoughts • 58 implied HN points • 30 Mar 23

📖 Philosophy Rationality Epistemology Logic Beliefs Faith

Rationality is about challenging beliefs and rooting out those that fail to withstand challenge.
Rationalism means basing life on reason, evidence, and logic, rather than emotions or religious beliefs.
Explicitly committing to reason and continually striving to be rational is crucial for both humanism and transhumanism.

Why Smart People Believe Stupid Things

The Prism • 32 HN points • 13 Feb 23

🚌 Education Rationality Biases Critical Thinking Curiosity

Intelligence does not always lead to rationality; smart people can believe in irrational things.
Curiosity is crucial to seeking objective truth and counteracting biased reasoning.
Humility is essential in avoiding cognitive biases and being open to changing one's beliefs.

There Is No Utility

Square Circle • 18 implied HN points • 17 Jun 23

📖 Philosophy Ethics Reason Utilitarianism Rationality

The concept of utility in ethical calculations may not accurately represent reality
Expected value alone may not be sufficient to make decisions involving risk
Utilitarian arithmetic can oversimplify complex ethical conundrums

Debating is a Waste of Time

Curiosity Sink__ • 1 HN point • 21 Jun 23

🚌 Education Rationality Critical Thinking Writing

Modern-day debates can give a skewed view of rationality and truth-seeking
Debates are often too complex and performative, focusing on entertainment over constructive dialogue
Engaging in good-faith conversations and writing can be more effective for understanding and critiquing ideas

Dethroning the Kingdom of Rationality

Vic's Verdict • 1 implied HN point • 19 Mar 23

📖 Philosophy Stoicism Rationality Beliefs Control Emotions

Emotions are important and should not be detached from, as they guide us towards what is significant in our lives.
Rationality is better achieved as a by-product of living aligned with values, rather than as a direct pursuit.
The concept of control is blurry and not a clear division between important and unimportant aspects of life.

Finding Peace Amidst Chaos: The Stoic Way

Wayne's Earth • 0 implied HN points • 20 Jun 23

📖 Philosophy Stoicism Self-Control Rationality Acceptance Resilience

Finding peace amidst chaos is crucial for mental and emotional well-being, allowing us to focus on what truly matters in life and reduce stress and anxiety.
Stoicism teaches self-control, rationality, and acceptance to help in finding peace amidst chaos, emphasizing on what we can control like our thoughts and actions rather than external factors.
Applying Stoic philosophy in daily life involves releasing attachments to external things, focusing on self-improvement, living intentionally, and cultivating empathy, resilience, and mindfulness.

Working with mostly-truths

Meaningness • 0 implied HN points • 21 Aug 20

📖 Philosophy Truth Rationality World

The post discusses working with mostly-truths and the complexities of rationality and rationalism.
It introduces the concept of 'mostly-truths' and provides follow-ups to exercises from the previous week.
The focus is on the relationship between truth, formal rationality, and its application in the real world.

Explaining rationality, changing my Twitter demeanor, and prompts for reflection

Meaningness • 0 implied HN points • 29 Jul 20

📖 Philosophy Rationality Reflection

A new summary of rationality and meta-rationality from _The Eggplan_t
Changes to how Twitter is used, potentially for the worse
Introduction of prompts for reflection as an experimental newsletter feature