Scott Alexander speculates about mental feedback loops, their relation to various disorders, and how increased self-awareness might accidentally worsen them. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the concept of mental feedback loops, where emotions or thoughts can spiral out of control. He discusses how the brain usually prevents this, but sometimes fails, leading to conditions like OCD and anxiety disorders. He speculates that making people more aware of their mental states might accidentally increase these loops. The post then connects this idea to serotonergic drugs and their effects on thought patterns, ending with some admittedly speculative ideas about how LSD might affect mental 'loop sizes'. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander shares his new OKCupid profile, which consists solely of a link to his blog, creating a meta-joke about online dating and self-promotion. Longer summary

Scott Alexander humorously shares his new OKCupid dating profile, which is entirely blank except for a link to his blog. He suggests readers view the actual profile before accusing him of narcissism or opportunism for mentioning it in his blog post. The brevity and self-referential nature of both the profile and the blog post create a meta-joke about online dating and self-promotion. Shorter summary