This section of my site will collect thoughts on the maxims, or rules-of-thumb, that I try to follow in my thinking.
They are not intended to be absolute iron laws, and the description will often be more nuanced than the maxim itself, which will tend to be phrased more simply and therefore more absolutely. In particular, as you read them, you will notice the trend that the rules apply more or less strongly as a situation moves between the thing in itself, and our model of the thing.
These maxims are both partly descriptive and partly prescriptive. They describe how I tend to think, and how others who I admire tend to think. As such, even if you disagree with them, you might find them helpful in understanding why I think a certain way on a given topic. They are also a prescription to myself of how I would like to think, and beyond that, I think they would be good maxims for others to adopt too, although some may require sufficient intelligence to grok in fullness and may be harmful when only partially understood.
Here you can read about:
- “Reality is Scalar”
- “Knowledge is Probabilistic”
- “Decisions are Trade-Offs” [wip]
- “It Is What It Is”
- “Absence of Evidence is Evidence of Absence”
- “Meaning is Social”
- “Problems are Ambiguities”
sum θoətiz abaʊt maksimiz
ðis sekʃən ov miis sait wil kəlekt θoətiz on ðə maksimiz, oə rʊʊliz-ov-θum, ðat mii trai tə foloʊʷ in miis θinkiŋ.
dii bii not intendəð tə biiʸ absəlʊʊt aiyən loəriz, and ðə diskripʃən wil oftən bii mʊə nyʊʊwonsəð ðan ðə maksim itself, wic wil tend tə bii freizəð mʊə simpliiʸ and ðeəfoə mʊər absəlʊʊtliiʸ. in pətikyələʳ, az ðii riid dii, ðii wil noʊtis ðə trend ðat ðə rʊʊliz aplai mʊəʳ oə les stroŋgliiʸ az a sicʊʊweiʃən mʊʊv bitwiin ðə θiŋᵍ in itself, and wiis modəl ov ðə θiŋᵍ.
ðiiz maksimiz bii boʊθ paətlii diskriptiv and paətlii priskriptiv. dii diskraib haʊ mii tend tə θink, and haʊʷ uðəriz hʊʊ miiʸ admaiə tend tə θink. az suc, iivən if ðii disəgrii wið dii, ðii mait faind dii helpfəl in undəstandiŋᵍ wai mii θink a suətən weiʸ on a givəð topik. dii biiʸ oəlsoʊʷ a priskripʃən tə miiself ov haʊ mii wʊd laik tə θink, and biiyond ðat, mii θink dii wʊd bii gʊd maksimiz foər uðəriz tʊʊw adopt tʊʊw, oəlðoʊ sum mei rikwaiə səfiʃənt intelijəns tə grok in fʊlnəs and mei bii haəmfəl wen oʊnlii paəʃəliiʸ undəstʊd.
hiə ðii kan riid abaʊt:
- riiyalitii bii skeiləʳ
- nolij bii probəbəlistik [blank]
- “disiʒəniz bii treid-ofiz” [blank]
- “it bii wot it biiʸ”
- “absəns ov evidəns biiʸ evidəns ov absəns”
- “miiniŋ bii soʊʃəl”
- “probləmiz biiy ambigyʊʊwitiiyiz”