Scott Alexander explores the idea that many adults may be missing crucial cognitive abilities, and that rationality and cognitive therapy might be teaching these missing developmental milestones. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the idea that developmental milestones in psychology might not be innate but learned, and that many adults may be missing crucial cognitive abilities. He discusses examples like theory of mind, understanding different perspectives, and probabilistic thinking. The post suggests that certain insights from rationality and cognitive therapy might actually be teaching these missing developmental milestones to adults. Scott wonders what mental operations he might still be missing and how to recognize and learn them. Shorter summary