This is a linkpost for https://www.maximum-progress.com/p/a-high-decoupling-failure

High-decoupling vs low-decoupling or decoupling vs contextualizing refers to two different cultural norms, cognitive skills, or personal dispositions that change the way people approach ideas.

High-decouplers isolate ideas from each other and the surrounding context. This is a necessary practice in science which works by isolating variables, teasing out causality and formalizing claims into carefully delineated hypotheses.

Low-decouplers, or contextualizers, do not separate ideas from their connotation. They treat an idea or claim as inseparable from the narratives that the idea might support, the types of people who usually make similar claims, and the history of the idea and the people who support it.

Decoupling is uncorrelated with the left-right political divide. Electoral politics is the ultimate low-decoupler arena. All messages are narratives, associations, and vibes, with little care paid to arguments or evidence. High decouplers are usually in the “gray tribe” since they [...]

---

First published:
April 14th, 2024

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/hXS2iZ8H3Xep6JPxv/a-high-decoupling-failure

Linkpost URL:
https://www.maximum-progress.com/p/a-high-decoupling-failure

---

Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

[Linkpost] “A High Decoupling Failure” by Maxwell Tabarrok

LessWrong (30+ Karma)