Are you a wamb or a nerd? (with Tom Chivers)

1. Practice Decoupling Concepts

Learn to separate the idea of whether something works from whether it is good or moral, allowing for more objective analysis of complex or controversial topics, even if it feels uncomfortable or goes against social norms.

2. Identify Your Crony Beliefs

Reflect on beliefs that primarily signal group status rather than solely helping you navigate the world, especially those that evoke strong emotions or are shared by your social group and opposed by an ‘out-group,’ as these have a higher chance of being wrong.

3. Recognize Crony Belief Indicators

Look for indicators such as strong emotional reactions when a belief is challenged, alignment with your social tribe’s views versus an opposing tribe’s, and embarrassment at the thought of abandoning the belief within your social group, to pinpoint potential crony beliefs.

4. Find the Crux of Disagreement

When disagreeing with someone, identify the single, concrete point upon which your beliefs hinge, as this allows for more focused and productive discussion, potentially leading to mutual understanding or resolution rather than arguing about ‘cloudy ideas’.

5. Avoid Team Allegiance in Discussions

Approach difficult topics by presenting ideas in a novel way that prevents others from immediately categorizing you into a specific ’team,’ allowing for more nuanced and open conversations about pros and cons without social bias.

6. Be a Nerd-Wham Translator

Practice translating complex, ’nerdy’ ideas into palatable and understandable forms for people who prioritize social harmony and context, often by using analogies or starting with less charged ideas, to bridge communication gaps between different thinking styles.

7. Continuously Stress-Test Beliefs

Cultivate a habit of being less confident in your own beliefs, stress-testing your ideas more frequently, and being more willing to acknowledge when you might be wrong, to improve intellectual rigor and accuracy.

8. Embrace Nerdy Problem Solving

Be willing to follow chains of reasoning all the way through, even if the conclusions seem ‘weird’ or socially uncomfortable, as this can help identify and address significant problems that others might overlook due to social bias or a concern for social harmony.

9. Model AI as Extreme Nerd

When considering superintelligence, model it as an ’extreme nerd’ that will follow instructions literally without inferring human intuition or morality, emphasizing the need for precise and comprehensive alignment specifications.

10. Adjust to Nerdy Social Norms

When interacting with highly nerdy groups, recalibrate expectations for conversation, anticipating a focus on correctness and directness over small talk and social smoothing, to avoid taking offense and facilitate more substantive discussions.