LessWrong (Curated & Popular) “Eliezer’s Unteachable Methods of Sanity” by Eliezer Yudkowsky
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Dec 7, 2025 
Eliezer Yudkowsky, renowned writer and AI researcher, shares his unique insights on maintaining sanity in turbulent times. He challenges the typical doomsday narratives, arguing against making crises about personal drama. Eliezer emphasizes the importance of deciding to be sane, using mental scripts to guide behavior rather than succumbing to societal expectations of chaos. He also discusses treating sanity as a skill that can be developed, while acknowledging individual limitations. Prepare for a thought-provoking perspective on rationality in the face of impending challenges!
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Reject The Apocalypse Trope
- Eliezer rejects the cliché of going mad during an apocalypse and treats life as a story to be written intelligently.
- Seeing cultural tropes helps him avoid predictable, self-dramatizing behavior that doesn't serve real goals.
It's Not All About You
- Eliezer emphasizes that the end of the world need not be centered on your emotions or status in the narrative.
- He frames personal feelings as minor compared to the broader facts of how the world is ending.
The 'Almost Built AGI' Encounter
- Eliezer recounts meeting someone who claimed they'd almost built AGI and then agonized about nearly destroying the world.
- He used this to illustrate misplacing the story focus onto personal guilt rather than the actual event.
