Scott Alexander responds to comments on polyamory, providing data and addressing concerns about relationship satisfaction, child-rearing, and abuse risks in poly relationships. Longer summary

Scott Alexander responds to comments on his previous posts about polyamory, addressing various arguments and providing data where possible. He discusses statistics on relationship satisfaction and child-rearing in poly vs. monogamous relationships, addresses concerns about abuse risks, and shares personal observations. The post touches on cultural perceptions of polyamory, its prevalence among different groups, and potential societal impacts. Scott also reflects on some new insights he gained from the discussion, particularly around child-rearing in poly relationships and abuse risks. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander explores how love embodies libertarian principles and resists regulation, proposing it as a model for libertarian thinking. Longer summary

Scott Alexander proposes Valentine's Day as a holiday for libertarians, arguing that the way people think about love is the last relic of libertarian thinking. He explores how love operates on principles similar to libertarian ideals, such as non-aggression and resistance to regulation, despite its inherent unfairness and dangers. The post reflects on why people resist regulating love even when it might seem beneficial, and compares this resistance to how people used to think about other aspects of life. Scott also ponders whether love's relative freedom from regulation actually makes it work better, concluding that while love can be disastrous, it retains a unique charm and cultural significance. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander argues against judging polyamory based on memoirs or advice books, as these are often written by unrepresentative individuals. Longer summary

Scott Alexander critiques a pattern in media where people generalize about polyamory based on memoirs or advice books. He argues that this is unfair, as such books are often written by people with relationship issues or narcissistic tendencies, not representative of the average polyamorous person. He extends this critique to other groups, suggesting that public representatives often poorly reflect the actual members of various communities. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander explores various commenters' insights on the neuroscience of reward, happiness, and relationships, expanding on his original post about unpredictable rewards. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses highlights from comments on his post 'Unpredictable Reward, Predictable Happiness', covering topics such as neuroscience of reward, dopamine, and relationships. He explores various perspectives on how the brain processes rewards, predictions, and happiness, including insights from neuroscientists, psychologists, and personal anecdotes. The post touches on topics like abusive relationships, polyamory, wealth and happiness, and the cognitive burden of poverty. Shorter summary

Scott examines two types of happiness - one affected by predictability and one that persists - through various examples and neuroscientific concepts. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the concept of happiness and reward in relation to neuroscience and prediction error. He discusses how there seem to be two types of happiness: one that is cancelled out by predictability (like the hedonic treadmill) and another that persists even when expected. The post delves into various examples including grief, romantic relationships, and drug tolerance to illustrate this pattern. Scott also touches on AI concepts and how they might relate to human reward systems. He concludes by suggesting that while unpredicted rewards can't be consistently obtained, predicted rewards can still be enjoyable. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander announces his marriage and reflects on finding love, introducing 'micromarriages' as a motivational concept and exploring the rational and romantic aspects of marriage. Longer summary

Scott Alexander announces his recent marriage and reflects on his journey to find a partner. He introduces the concept of 'micromarriages' as a motivational tool for those seeking relationships, shares personal anecdotes about meeting his wife, and discusses the significance of marriage contracts. Scott then delves into a more philosophical view of marriage, comparing it to Odysseus' encounter with the Sirens, emphasizing the balance between rational precautions and embracing the beauty of a deep connection. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander uses survey data to challenge claims that polyamory leads to a few men monopolizing women, showing these criticisms don't match reality in practice. Longer summary

Scott Alexander addresses criticisms of polyamory from both conservative and pickup artist perspectives, which claim it leads to a few high-status men monopolizing women. Using survey data from the Less Wrong community, he shows these criticisms don't match reality. The data suggests poly women have more partners on average than poly men, and poly men are less likely to be single than monogamous men. Scott acknowledges potential biases in the data but argues it still contradicts the critics' theories. He invites critics to suggest what data would convince them in future surveys. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander uses a couples therapy case to explore how cultural defaults influence our judgments on relationship issues, reflecting on the importance of culture wars in shaping societal norms. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses a couples therapy case involving two gay men, Adam and Steve, who disagree about non-monogamy. Adam wants to engage in kinky activities outside their marriage, while Steve insists on monogamy. Scott uses this case to explore how cultural defaults influence our judgments in such situations. He argues that in different time periods or subcultures, the 'right' answer would be clear, but our current diverse culture makes it ambiguous. Scott reflects on how this realization has made him more understanding of both cultural activists and conservatives, as they are essentially fighting to set these cultural defaults. He concludes by acknowledging the importance of culture wars in shaping societal norms, while also apologizing for potentially reinforcing stereotypes about gay couples in his example. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander delivers a wedding speech for Mike and Hannah Blume, blending personal anecdotes, humor, and reflections on the couple's potential impact on future generations. Longer summary

Scott Alexander gives a speech at the wedding of Mike Blume and Hannah 'Alicorn' Blume, recounting his history with the couple and his admiration for their relationship. He discusses how he met Hannah, his initial reluctance to attend weddings, and his growing friendship with Mike. Scott praises their relationship as a model of mutual respect and love. The speech then takes an unexpected turn to population genetics, explaining how all humans are descendants of historical figures, and concludes by highlighting the couple's potential impact on future generations. The speech balances humor, personal anecdotes, and philosophical musings about the future of humanity. Shorter summary

The post details the economic and relationship systems of Raikoth, a fictional society designed to optimize for goodness and weirdness. Longer summary

This post describes two aspects of Raikoth, a fictional society: its economics and relationships. The economic system is based on a basic income guarantee with minimal government intervention, using a basket of taxes including land taxes, estate taxes, and taxes on large corporations. The relationship system involves an annual festival called Temion Mirun, where a computer algorithm matches people for year-long 'handfastings'. These can lead to more permanent marriages with various contract options. The author notes that this society is designed to optimize for goodness while erring on the side of weirdness, in contrast to real-world approaches that prioritize safety. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander analyzes the results of his utility and QALY survey, discussing interesting findings and the challenges of utility measurement. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the results of a utility and QALY survey he conducted. He notes several interesting findings, including a striking imbalance in respondents' last names, people's attitudes towards death, and differences in how single people and those in relationships view each other's situations. The post then delves into the utility calculations, noting that while the three methods used correlated inconsistently with each other, their averaged results were remarkably consistent. Scott also observes wide ranges in individual responses but similar preference orderings among respondents. He compares his results for blindness to established health research findings, concluding that while utility measurement is challenging, his test seems as valid as others. 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