This is Emotional Rationality, a newsletter about better decision making and better vibes.
Dan, why the f*ck are you doing another side hustle?
Hereβs the vibe:
When we talk about rationality, what do we actually mean? What are the goals of rationality?
Eliezer Yudkowsky (Founder of Less Wrong and Author of Rationality A-Z: AI to Zombies) said it better than I can here, but in short:
1. Systematically improving the accuracy of your beliefs
2. Systematically achieving your values
Essentially, the art of thinking in ways that result in accurate beliefs and good decisions.
In this sense, itβs clear that rationality should be for everyone, not just the ivory tower.
However, I believe rationality has a brand problem that underweights the importance of emotion and intuition in effective decision making.
All rational decisions ultimately have goals and desired outcomes driven by emotions.
And for less complex decisions, emotions can be a way to make more efficient decisions.
And yet, the brand of rationality is one often marked by a prioritisation of logic over feeling, which is not a fair reflection of the underlying principles of rationality.
This:
Attracts people to rationality for the wrong reasons (misguided suppression of emotion)
Inhibits exploration of rationality by more emotionally-attuned and spiritual people who may be turned off by its seemingly cold, mechanical approach (misguided rejection of rationality)
I believe outsized utility can come from reshaping the perception of rationalityβs frameworks, both to its existing enthusiasts and a broader audience.
Beauty lies at the intersection of rationality and spirituality.
So when we talk about emotional rationality, what do we actually mean?
Emotional rationality is the art of thinking and feeling in ways that result in accurate beliefs and good decisions.
Stay tuned famβ¦