The Difference Between Rationality and Intelligence
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Re: The Difference Between Rationality and Intelligence
#2This is really interesting to me. I've always associated rationality with intelligence. Naturally this leads me to wonder how people with high intellectual aptitude have strangely inconsistent opinions.
But after reading this article, intuitively it makes sense to me. I'm eager to read the linked study for further study. I feel as though the researcher's holistic approach to quantifying rationality (decoupling rationality into IQ and "RQ") is more precise than assuming the two correlate together.
One of the things I'd be very curious about, assuming this study reproduces well, is whether or not it can be reproduced for other aptitude tests. We already have EQ, which will make three measures if this catches on. Can we keep decoupling traits from intelligence to measure them more granularly and accurately? What else could we move into its own category?
Re: The Difference Between Rationality and Intelligence
#3This is really interesting to me. I've always associated rationality with intelligence. Naturally this leads me to wonder how people with high intellectual aptitude have strangely inconsistent opinions. But after reading this article, intuitively it makes sense to me. I'm eager to read the linked study for further study. I feel as though the researcher's holistic approach to quantifying rationality (decoupling ration…
The capacity to abstract thought and the decision to classify it are two different concepts, but easy to conflate. As we form classifications our mylenic sheaths form around our neurons and abstracting concepts - even if apparent to others - becomes more challenging.
Re: The Difference Between Rationality and Intelligence
#4I wish there were more info about this computer training to minimize cognitive bias. Wouldn't mind trying that out.
The distinction between rationality and intelligence (I usually think about it as rationality and logic) is an important one that is rarely made. Economists especially do a bad job of this, despite being the sort of people who should know better. Thanks to cognitive biases, limited information, and costs associated with getting past those two hurdles, people are rarely logical. But we are typically rational; we make the best decision available given our beliefs, evolved instincts, limited available information, etc. That can result in illogical behavior, but hardly unpredictable/erratic behavior. Understanding that people are maximizing utility based on a function that includes lots of tricky psychological factors--not just pure logic--is helpful in empathizing with others.
Re: The Difference Between Rationality and Intelligence
#5This is really interesting to me. I've always associated rationality with intelligence. Naturally this leads me to wonder how people with high intellectual aptitude have strangely inconsistent opinions. But after reading this article, intuitively it makes sense to me. I'm eager to read the linked study for further study. I feel as though the researcher's holistic approach to quantifying rationality (decoupling ration…
The capacity to abstract thought and the decision to classify it are two different concepts, but easy to conflate. As we form classifications our mylenic sheaths form around our neurons and abstracting concepts - even if apparent to others - becomes more challenging.
> "mylenic sheaths form around our neurons and abstracting concepts"
Roll me one while you are at it
Re: The Difference Between Rationality and Intelligence
#6Interesting. Had not realized rationality was learnable.
Another leading contributor to opinions that others may consider to be irrational is existing beliefs. I am not a scientist but I am guessing belief systems are a bigger factor than irrationality in most cases where we generally label others as being irrational or unintelligent.
Re: The Difference Between Rationality and Intelligence
#7I wish there were more info about this computer training to minimize cognitive bias. Wouldn't mind trying that out. The distinction between rationality and intelligence (I usually think about it as rationality and logic) is an important one that is rarely made. Economists especially do a bad job of this, despite being the sort of people who should know better. Thanks to cognitive biases, limited information, and cost…
Rationality is logical behavior.
Re: The Difference Between Rationality and Intelligence
#8If this interests you, check out https://intelligence.org/rationality-ai-zombies/.
Re: The Difference Between Rationality and Intelligence
#9I have known many clearly intelligent people who held irrational opinions quite strongly. For example, huge believers in specific, concrete stock market predictions based on some fibonacci sequence nonsense, to the point of actively loosing six figures through multiple failed predictions over a decade+ and still believing.
So clearly, they're distinct.
But the question about the bank teller doesn't seem like the strongest indicator. It seems more like a parlor trick that relies on our "system 1" brain short circuiting before our "system 2" kicks in.
Better indicators would be ones that explore in-tribe vs. out-tribe perception of facts, or that attempted to quantify one's awareness of one's own blind spots.
Re: The Difference Between Rationality and Intelligence
#10I wonder sometimes whether rationalization came before logic. Perhaps using logic in a rigorous way (as in a mathematical proof) evolved out of persuasive techniques that are intended to get people to believe you, regardless of whether you're right?
Looking for logical flaws in arguments might have arisen as defense against persuasive techniques.