Rationality is Systematized Winning, so rationalists should win. We’ve tried saving the world from AI, but that's really hard and we’ve had … mixed results. So let's start with something that rationalists should find pretty easy: Becoming Cool!

I don’t mean, just, like, riding a motorcycle and breaking hearts level of cool. I mean like the first kid in school to get a Tamagotchi, their dad runs the ice cream truck and gives you free ice cream and, sure, they ride a motorcycle. I mean that kind of feel-it-in-your-bones, I-might-explode-from-envy cool.

The eleventh virtue is scholarship, so I hit the ~books~ search engine on this one. Apparently, the aspects of coolness are:

1. Confidence
2. Playing an instrument
3. Low average kinetic energy

I’m afraid that (1) might mess with my calibration, and Lightcone is committed to moving quickly which rules out (3), so I guess that leaves (2). I [...]

---

First published:
April 1st, 2024

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/YMo5PuXnZDwRjhHhE/the-story-of-i-have-been-a-good-bing

---

Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.