Scott discusses various interpretations and uses of 'sorry' in response to comments on his previous article about the phrase 'I'm sorry you feel that way'. Longer summary

This post highlights comments on Scott's previous article about the phrase 'I'm sorry you feel that way'. It explores various perspectives on the use and interpretation of 'sorry', including its etymological roots and cultural shifts in understanding. Scott discusses the challenges of finding alternative phrases, the potential generational gap in interpreting 'sorry', and the concept of 'hyperstitious slur cascade'. He also reflects on the difficulties of crafting socially acceptable alternatives and the nuances of apologizing without admitting fault. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander argues that 'I'm sorry you feel that way' is a valid and useful phrase in certain situations, despite widespread criticism. Longer summary

Scott Alexander defends the phrase 'I'm sorry you feel that way', often criticized as a fake apology. He argues that in situations where someone is upset by an appropriate action, this phrase is a good middle ground between changing one's mind and being dismissive. Scott suggests that the hostility towards this phrase stems from 'therapy culture', which overfits social norms to benefit oneself in any given situation. He concludes that 'I'm sorry you feel that way' can be a polite and compassionate response when someone is upset by an action you continue to endorse. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander critiques Emil Kirkegaard's evolutionary definition of mental illness, arguing for separate terms to distinguish between social dysfunction and evolutionary fitness concepts. Longer summary

Scott Alexander responds to Emil Kirkegaard's proposal for defining mental illness based on evolutionary fitness. Scott argues that while Kirkegaard's definition may be useful in evolutionary psychology, it doesn't align with practical needs in mental health care and social policy. He proposes keeping two separate concepts: one based on social dysfunction (Scott's definition) and another based on evolutionary fitness (Kirkegaard's definition). Scott provides several examples to illustrate the differences and limitations of Kirkegaard's approach, including ADHD, alcoholism, and ephebophilia. He concludes that Kirkegaard should coin a new term for his concept, such as 'genetic maladaptation', while preserving the term 'mental disorder' for its more common usage. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander explores the concept of hyperstitious slurs, showing how words and actions become offensive through belief, and discusses when to adopt new language norms. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the concept of hyperstitious slurs, which are words or phrases that become offensive primarily because people believe they are offensive. He explains how this process works, using examples like the word 'Jap' and 'Negro'. The post then extends this concept to actions, images, and even facts, showing how they can become signals of offensive intent through similar processes. Scott criticizes the unnecessary creation of new slurs, like banning 'field work' in academia, and discusses his personal approach to adopting new language norms. He suggests joining these cascades about 70% of the way through as a compromise between principle and self-preservation. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander argues against Erik Hoel's claim that the decline of 'aristocratic tutoring' explains the perceived lack of modern geniuses, offering alternative explanations and counterexamples. Longer summary

Scott Alexander critiques Erik Hoel's essay on the decline of geniuses, which attributes this decline to the loss of 'aristocratic tutoring'. Scott argues that this explanation is insufficient, providing counterexamples of historical geniuses who weren't aristocratically tutored. He also points out that fields like music, where such tutoring is still common, still experience a perceived decline in genius. Scott proposes alternative explanations for the apparent lack of modern geniuses, including the increasing difficulty of finding new ideas, the distribution of progress across more researchers, and changing social norms around celebrating individual brilliance. He suggests that newer, smaller fields like AI and AI alignment still produce recognizable geniuses, supporting his view that the apparent decline is more about the maturity and size of fields than about educational methods. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander analyzes the current cultural climate, comparing it to historical norms of ideological conformity and discussing strategies to maintain intellectual freedom. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reflects on the current cultural moment, comparing it to historical periods of ideological conformity rather than extreme events like witch hunts. He argues that we're exiting a rare period of high freedom of thought and may be returning to a more typical state of subtle repression. Scott discusses the oversupply of angry tweets versus substantive action, the importance of maintaining hope in the face of authoritarianism, and reasons for optimism based on historical precedents. He also points out the need for more coherent principles in opposing 'cancel culture' and suggests studying historical transitions from repressive to open societies. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines why some people struggle to acknowledge others' preferences that deviate from social norms, drawing from personal experiences and psychological theories. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the difficulty some people have in acknowledging others' preferences, especially when those preferences deviate from social norms. He recounts personal experiences with a B&B couple ignoring his friend's introversion and his grandmother dismissing his girlfriend's dislike of presents. Scott suggests this behavior might be more common among older, very nice people, possibly due to historical social conformity pressures or cognitive inflexibility. He compares this to common cognitive biases and emotional reasoning errors, and proposes that people who 'take ideas seriously' might be better at respecting unusual preferences. Shorter summary

The review analyzes Robert Ellickson's 'Order Without Law', which argues that close-knit communities often develop welfare-maximizing social norms that supersede formal laws. Longer summary

This book review examines 'Order Without Law: How Neighbors Settle Disputes' by Robert Ellickson, which explores how social norms often supersede formal laws in close-knit communities. The review provides a detailed analysis of Ellickson's main hypothesis: that members of close-knit groups develop norms that maximize aggregate welfare in their everyday interactions. It discusses various case studies, including cattle ranchers in Shasta County and whalers, and critically examines the strengths and limitations of Ellickson's arguments. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander summarizes and responds to various comments on his review of 'The Secret of Our Success', covering topics from language evolution to cultural practices and critiques of the book's claims. Longer summary

This post highlights comments on Scott Alexander's review of 'The Secret of Our Success'. It covers various topics including language creation, human strength compared to apes, cultural evolution, traditional practices, and the interplay between tradition and rationality. The post also touches on critiques of the book's claims, discussions on illegible preferences, and parallels with psychoanalytic concepts. It ends with perspectives on labor practices in Dubai and insights from StarCraft 2 strategies as metaphors for cultural evolution. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander shares and comments on excerpts from Joseph Henrich's 'The Secret of Our Success', exploring cultural evolution and its impact on human societies. Longer summary

This post highlights various passages from Joseph Henrich's book 'The Secret of Our Success', covering topics such as cultural evolution, gene-culture coevolution, social norms, and the development of human cognition and technology. Scott Alexander provides commentary and analysis on these excerpts, drawing connections to other ideas and contemporary issues. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander explores how minority views can be silenced through social censorship, using a 'first offender model' to explain the maintenance of taboos despite significant private support. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the concept of social censorship, using a study on public support for eugenics as a starting point. He introduces a 'first offender model' to explain how a minority view can be effectively silenced despite having significant support. The post draws parallels between this model and a hypothetical policing strategy, where focusing on deterring the first offender of a particular crime can prevent others from following suit. Scott applies this concept to explain how taboos and social norms are maintained, even when a significant portion of the population might privately disagree. He reflects on how this insight changes his view on censorship, acknowledging that taboos might represent a 'tenuous coordination advantage' rather than overwhelming opposition. The post concludes by considering the implications of this model for debates about censorship and free speech. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines the difficulties in creating consistent free speech norms beyond legal protections, proposing guidelines and emphasizing the role of community consensus. Longer summary

This post explores the complexities of establishing coherent principles around free speech norms beyond governmental protections. Scott Alexander discusses the challenges of balancing opinion expression, propensity signaling, and speech acts, using various examples to illustrate the nuances. He proposes some potential guidelines, such as allowing controversial opinions if they don't lead to dangerous actions, and not enforcing idiosyncratic rules through punishment. The post concludes by emphasizing the importance of community consensus in establishing norms and the need for clear rules in different types of communities. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander critiques the practice of signal-boosting offensive tweets to harm someone's reputation, arguing it undermines free speech and creates dangerous precedents. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses a recent Twitter incident where a libertarian columnist signal-boosted an offensive tweet to potentially harm the tweeter's job prospects. He argues that this approach, while not technically doxxing, undermines free speech norms and creates a dangerous precedent. Scott draws parallels to other forms of social oppression and emphasizes that free speech isn't just about laws, but also about social norms that allow dissenting opinions. He warns of the risks of living in a 'Panopticon' where anyone's past statements can be used against them, potentially ruining lives. Scott concludes by advocating for the promotion of good social norms that protect free speech, even for those we disagree with. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander proposes the principle 'be nice, at least until you can coordinate meanness' and applies it to ethical dilemmas and blog moderation. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the concept of 'be nice, at least until you can coordinate meanness' as a principle for ethical behavior and community management. He argues that while being nice is generally a good heuristic, there are cases where meanness might be necessary. However, he emphasizes that coordinated meanness (e.g., through legal systems or widely agreed-upon social norms) is preferable to uncoordinated individual acts of meanness. The post explores the benefits of coordination in terms of predictability, stability, and reduced frequency of meanness. Scott applies this principle to his blog moderation policy, allowing discussion of ideas but prohibiting direct attacks or shaming of individual commenters. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander argues against using dishonest and harmful tactics in pursuit of social or political goals, defending the power of truthfulness, kindness, and liberalism. Longer summary

Scott Alexander argues against the idea that using lies, insults, and harassment is justified in pursuing social or political goals. He contends that civilization and progress are built on agreements to be truthful and kind, even to opponents. The post explores how beneficial equilibria can arise without central enforcement, through reciprocal communitarianism and 'divine grace'. Scott defends his focus on criticizing those who claim to be rational but use dishonest tactics, seeing them as a threat to the 'walled garden' of rational discourse. He argues that liberalism and non-violence have been historically successful strategies, contrary to the view that they are weak. The post ends by comparing liberalism to a powerful 'Elder God' that should not be underestimated. Shorter summary

The post details the housing, urban planning, and land use in Raikoth, a fictional country where people live in yurts and cities are designed for cleanliness and tranquility. Longer summary

This post describes the housing and urban planning of Raikoth, a fictional country. Raikolin people primarily live in yurts, which are cheap, mobile, and adaptable. Cities are designed to be clean, quiet, and aesthetically pleasing, with strict rules against littering, noise pollution, and visual clutter. The country also has vast wilderness areas where people can live freely away from civilization. The post outlines the unique features of Raikothin cities, land use policies, and the option for citizens to live in remote, challenging environments. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander shares his journey from skepticism to acceptance of polyamory, challenging common misconceptions and describing his personal experiences. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reflects on his experience with polyamory, describing how his initial skepticism transformed into acceptance and participation. He compares the normalization of polyamory to historical shifts in social norms, like the acceptance of Irish immigrants. Scott challenges common misconceptions about polyamory, emphasizing that it's more about meaningful relationships than casual sex. He discusses the rarity of jealousy in his experience and the prevalence of compersion. The post concludes with thoughts on the 'primary relationship' structure in polyamory and acknowledges some personal uncertainties about certain polyamorous arrangements. Shorter summary

Scott examines the concept of political tolerance, questioning where and why society draws the line between acceptable and unacceptable political views. Longer summary

Scott explores the concept of political tolerance and where society draws the line between acceptable and unacceptable political views. He discusses how certain issues like abortion, while deeply controversial, are treated as 'merely political' and don't typically result in social ostracism. In contrast, other views like anti-Semitism are considered beyond the pale. Scott ponders whether we should have a line at all, considering his own experience of befriending a neo-Nazi online. He then examines the logical implications of complete tolerance, including the uncomfortable conclusion that tolerating someone's political views should extend to tolerating their actions based on those views. The post ends with Scott considering a potential solution of tolerating political opinions and legal actions but not illegal ones, while acknowledging that his intuitions don't fully align with this logical conclusion. Shorter summary