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Overcoming Bias Commenter's avatar

Robin may have some bizarre beliefs (and LW sure does, which I don't follow), but the fact that we tend to be stupidly idealistic about far mode topics is pretty solid observation. As soon as people get to talk about some far-topics such as politics or religion, they start saying all these things they would not if they actually got a rationality boost (like betting). This is why I don't like to portray my amateur opinions as final truths as you do.

Are you saying witch doctors and shamans who - at least for the argument - lack analytical skills (as opposed to say physicists), are much better at far-mode topics like religion as opposed to people who excel analysis? Physicists are generally highly skeptical of religion which should be typical of example of Robin's point here.

I'm quite sure there're lots of people with strong analytical skills, high IQ and modest views on everything. At least I've observed understanding of mathematics highly correlates of how much useful things a person has to say.

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Marc Geddes's avatar

I put in that you have a distinct lack of any supporting evidence for that claim. What makes you think that is the case?

All the "smart" people believing weird things? ;)

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