The Gray Area with Sean Illing ICYMI: Julia Galef
Mar 14, 2019
Julia Galef, host of the Rationally Speaking podcast and co-founder of the Center for Applied Rationality, dives deep into the art of productive disagreement. She explores cognitive biases that cloud judgment and hinder belief change, particularly in politically charged debates. Julia emphasizes the importance of engaging with diverse perspectives and maintaining intellectual humility. Their discussion also touches on the challenges of navigating AI perceptions and the need for skepticism in dietary choices, revealing how our beliefs often distort reality.
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Cursive Criticism
- Julia Galef recalls a childhood anecdote about her friend Julie.
- Julie criticized another girl's cursive, but Julia realized it was just a pretext for mockery.
Abyss of Motivated Reasoning
- Motivated reasoning affects everyone, even intelligent people.
- This makes it hard to trust arguments, as people often rationalize pre-existing beliefs.
Voter Incentives
- Average citizens have little incentive to form accurate political beliefs.
- The effort required outweighs the negligible impact of their vote.
