When considering making changes or reforms, Chesterton's fence is another useful concept to keep in mind. G. K. Chesterton wrote that we should understand things before we change them: There exists [...] let us say, for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate erected across a road. The more modern type of reformer goes … Continue reading Rationality Recap: Chesterton’s Fence →

"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool." ― Richard P. Feynman Do I deserve a Christmas bonus at work? Absolutely I do! I was definitely among the top ten percent of workers in my division. At least, that's what I think until I find out … Continue reading The Motivated Reasoning Goblin →

There's an author I read, let's call him Nathan, who is really smart and insightful. When defending his insights, Nathan is brilliantly resourceful and creative. He comes up with new angles and new ways of looking at things that I never considered, and presents a really persuasive case why his ideas are true. But in … Continue reading One-Sided Creativity →