Soldiers and Scouts: Why our minds weren't built for truth I Julia Galef

An expert on rationality, judgement, and strategy, Julia Galef notes that "our capacity for reason evolved to serve two very different purposes that are often at odds with each other. On the one hand, reason helps us figure out what’s true; on the other hand, it also helps us defend ideas that are false-but-strategically-useful. I’ll explore these two different modes of thought -I call them “the scout” and “the soldier”- and what determines which mode we default to. Finally, I’ll argue that modern humans would be better off with more scout mode and less soldier mode, and I’ll share some thoughts on how to make that happen.”
Galef is founder of the Update Project and hosts the podcast “Rationally Speaking."
"Soldiers and Scouts: Why our mind weren't built for truth" was given on September 12, 02018 as part of Long Now's Seminar series. The series was started in 02003 to build a compelling body of ideas about long-term thinking from some of the world's leading thinkers. The Seminars take place in San Francisco and are curated and hosted by Stewart Brand. To follow the talks, you can:
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[@peterciurea7771]

The most fun to watch was the Q&A. After a talk about being flexible in your assumptions, the host proceeds to offer various adjustments to the theory, and we get to see how adept the speaker is at practicing her own advice.

[@williamhunt5456]

On my first pass of hearing Julia Galef I am impressed with the structure and direction of her research and the insights she brings. I now have more resources to explore or scout. I am totally unconvinced of her lack of bias or comprehensive scouting for truth. I am reminded of a framework I learned within the creative problem-solving discipline that close to her metaphors: To address a problem and solve it, take on, in sequence the roles of: explorer -> artist -> judge -> warrior.

[@zendean5207]

Pausing at halfway point just to say how brilliant this woman is and how much respect she deserves as a thinker and a person. Her character is attested to by her values on truth, accuracy, honesty and such. Refreshing. We need 8 billion more people like her on this planet.

[@_misterJ]

'We shouldn't expect that the brain evolved to be accurate. It evolved to give us a survival advantage. Sometimes that involves having accurate beliefs and sometimes it involves having false beliefs.'

[@ekuhlkamp]

1:20:24

[@jonbecherer5103]

Seems like you need the best of both the scout and the soldier mindset at different moments. 1.Scout the environment seeking truth, 2.formulate a plan to add value,

[@timmurphy5541]

All you have to do is tell people things they want to believe - that overcomes their sophistication.

[@gettingstrongerfriend2738]

My scout leader Hume dealt with this and succinctly put it as , reason is the servant of the passions.

[@teeI0ck]

showing an accurate and deep understanding; great perceptive. 💡

[@joeburkeson8946]

As a non-academic philosophical pessimist I tend to view all things through Schopenhauer's fundamental premise that 'The Will' is supreme making both The Solider and The Scout archetypes of the will (ego). Furthermore using military theme nomenclature it is easy to visualize that both the solider and the scout answer to a higher authority. Knowing that when the scout is successful the solider benefits by becoming better equipped to defend and protect, who is it that the scout looks to for approval? We are born strangers in a strange land and someday our lives will end without any of the really important questions ever being answered. To that end I see both the scout and the solider as part of The Sage described by Carl Jung, a scout who studied martial arts. Thanks for all the mind candy.

[@jimnesstarlyngdohnonglait3468]

Think more as E is for Entertaining

[@MarcBrai]

Thank you ... you are brilliant!

[@arquilli1]

Wowowow....mind is blown. Such great value

[@abdurrazzaq2314]

Great talk, indeed.

[@misterevil1967]

"Finding answers is easy. Asking the right questions... now that's hard!"

[@RLModerndayJoseph]

I must say am impressed.

[@Aurabay]

she seems like a cool friend to have. I hope her career flourishes, Ill check out her book.

[@drivers99]

7:04

[@ncedwards1234]

Smart enough to be this honest. That's impressive and inspiring. Challenge accepted.

[@samielkhayri9272]

A very interesting and thought-provoking presentation and subsequent discussion. I have pre-ordered Julia's book from Google Books. Really looking forward to going through it and learning much more about the scout mindset.