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Notes -
The triumph of the blank slate
i recently was in a seminar discussing fixed versus growth mindsets, and it was argued that believing in any innate/genetic component of intelligence was connected to a 'fixed' mindset. we were discouraged from using the idea of 'talent' as it implied that some people were just naturally better at some things than others. it seems like a core part of the 'diversity, equity, and inclusion' mantra that is finding its way everywhere - the idea of innate difference is anathema to the principle behind caring about equity versus equality.
There’s a reason why it’s called the Standard Social Science Model. Genetics is assumed to play no role in behaviour, contra all evidence in nature. This is what the best and brightest at Ivy League institutions believe, deeply, and they will brook no disagreement, which is automatically assumed to be racist, sexist, transphobic, etc
There’s this myth of progress, that we humans are getting smarter and better al the time. Rationalists fall hard for this type of belief, yet they ignore all the signs of societal decay everywhere. The effective altruists are even worse - they misunderstand where the true threats to societal progress stand “ooooh its malaria! It’s HIV! 🤓” the quokkas in the end discredit themselves both in their foolish and naive attempts to improve things and their shrinking cowardice at pointing out obvious truths
Actually most effective altruists I know push back against that type of ideology quite strongly, arguably the capture of scientific institutions by idiots who can't face reality is one reason why effective altruism has become so large.
Sad to see this blatant strawman being upvoted.
I hope you’re right! Perhaps I’m being too harsh
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