3 ms·
This is an excellent observation. The problem isn't hyperrationality per se; it's a lack of intellectual humility and self-awareness. The behavior you're talki
by throwawaymath 7y ago
This is an excellent observation.
The problem isn't hyperrationality per se; it's a lack of intellectual humility and self-awareness. The behavior you're talking about arises when someone looks at a problem, immediately wants to fix it and makes snap judgements to figure out how to do so. Instead, they should dispassionately consider 1) whether the problem is fixable in any meaningful sense, and 2) whether they have the requisite experience, skill and insight to solve it in five minutes of thought.
You could further distill this idea with the observation that a lot of people consider things too systematically, rather than holistically. "First principles" thinking is a powerful drug, which appears to crack open the world and solve every problem. But no problem-solving paradigm can deconstruct away unknown unknowns or inexperience.