Galef's "soldier mindset" is a clever metaphor for something long familiar to psychologists: motivated reasoning. This is true whether or not the original poster is someone I see eye-to-eye with. Increasingly, I've found myself sorting the social-media posts I read that address pertinent or political issues into "soldier" and "scout" posts-and the only discussions I have any urge to engage in are the ones undertaken with a scout mindset. In particular, I think of this video frequently when I use social media, which can be a deeply unpleasant space in the hair-trigger political environment of 2019 America. I've found myself coming back to it again and again. "It's the drive not to make one idea win or another lose, but just to see what's really there as honestly and accurately as you can, even if it's not pretty or convenient or pleasant." The talk is worth a watch. Galef argues that scout mindset is the best predictor of good judgment and decision-making. Galef is a social-science researcher turned public intellectual who has launched various initiatives, including co-founding the Center for Applied Rationality, to help people improve their judgment and better understand and reshape their own unconscious biases. What does it feel like when someone-a friend, a colleague, your spouse-poses a question or objection to you that you don't know how to answer? Is it the thrill of discovery that hits you first-knowing you're about to learn something new or understand something a little differently? Or is it shame or worry? What if that person is not a friend or colleague but a rival or adversary? Is the feeling different?Ī couple years ago I stumbled upon a video of a TEDx talk by Julia Galef that explores the distinction between these two ways of engaging with evidence: soldier mindset, or scout mindset. Or are you a scout, out to survey unknown terrain and make a map of what you find-knowing that turning a corner might confront you with the unexpected. When you're engaged in intense discussion on an issue you care about-whether with a friend over coffee, on Twitter or Facebook, or in a public forum like a community meeting-have you ever taken a moment to pay attention to what emotions are driving you? Usually, most of us get so focused on the content of our arguments-what we're thinking, and what we're saying-that we don't stop to isolate what it is we're feeling.ĭo you feel like a soldier trying to win the battle for your team? Do you get a little rush of adrenaline when you land a devastating, mic-drop comeback and elicit approving nods (or upvotes)? Do you get agitated, even angry, when someone questions your analysis or your intentions? If you're an activist pushing for some change-say, to influence a city council vote-perhaps your dominant emotion is fear: fear that you won't be persuasive, that you won't be listened to, that you won't be able to correct an injustice or bring about an outcome that would make your world a little better.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |