Scott Alexander reflects on turning 33 and questions whether the changes in his thinking represent true wisdom or are the result of socialization, trauma, or neurological changes. Longer summary

In this post, Scott Alexander reflects on turning 33 and questions whether age truly brings wisdom. He lists several changes in his thinking that seem like wisdom, such as becoming more cynical, mellow, and believing things are complicated. However, he then questions whether these changes are actually wisdom or just better socialization, trauma-induced pessimism, or even neurological changes. He notes that his current views align more with elite opinion and wonders if this is due to genuine wisdom or social pressure. Scott also discusses how he's changed his stance on some issues, like religion, and questions whether this is true wisdom or just following intellectual trends. He concludes by acknowledging the difficulty in distinguishing true wisdom from other cognitive changes that come with age. Shorter summary