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@s_r_constantin | |||||
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If the trauma hypothesis is true, we'd expect to see people *becoming less rational and more biased* frequently, especially after being treated badly by other people. If the cognitive bias hypothesis is true, we'd rarely see this.
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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31. sij |
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The model in the CPTSD book also neatly explains how you can get so many "life-changing epiphanies" that don't stick. Going to a self-improvement workshop, or reading a good book or having a good conversation, can *put you in a non-triggered, well-resourced mental state.*
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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31. sij |
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Inside that mental state, you feel like "Gosh, I was so insecure before! I don't feel *any* need to do those dumb things any more, now that I realize that I'm a basically good person and I can actually look at the problems in my life as solvable! I'm cured!"
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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31. sij |
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But then if you get triggered again, you're back to being the person you were before, so you'll conclude the epiphany was "fake." It wasn't -- you really were in a better, saner state temporarily. But it wasn't a "cure" either.
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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31. sij |
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Actual progress, says the book, means *gradually* getting triggered *less often*, and catching your triggered states earlier so they don't escalate as high or knock you out for as long.
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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31. sij |
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The book's model is an alternative to the traditional "rationalist" model a la @ESYudkowsky's Sequences. The theory of cognitive bias is "people are full of motivated cognition by default; evolution didn't build our brains to think clearly and accurately..."
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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31. sij |
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"so we are *by nature* prone to flinch from harsh truths and otherwise avoid reality. But maybe if you're extremely motivated and work very hard to resist cognitive temptations, you can overcome them."
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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31. sij |
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The trauma model of motivated cognition is more like "There is a "default healthy state" which is at least MUCH MORE reasonable and reality-oriented than the way most people are when they're driven by motivated cognition. This state doesn't necessarily take effort to reach;
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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31. sij |
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"you may have had it naturally as a child, or you may fall into it now and then by sheer luck. Most if not all motivated cognition is the effect of a specific mental motion that you might call "self-punishment" or "flinching", which you learn to do from being bullied.
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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31. sij |
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"unlearning motivated cognition, as in the rationalist model, is really hard but potentially attainable; however, the kind of work involved is not limited to self-discipline, but also involves a lot of self-compassion, as well as curiosity/experimentation."
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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31. sij |
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Under the trauma model, it's still possible that the "untriggered state" has a bunch of systematic biases; but if your goal is to be more reality-oriented, and you're currently in a "triggered state" a lot, your first job is to fix *that*.
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Chana
@ChanaMessinger
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31. sij |
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That seems unfair. "Motivated cognition" can be motivated by lots of things, no? Plus rationality might benefit from someone being in an emotionally deactivated state, which is hard when you're in pain.
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Sarah Constantin
@s_r_constantin
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31. sij |
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You're saying that "rationality" already adequately incorporates the idea that people become biased because they're in emotional pain?
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@micahstubbs
@micahstubbs
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1. velj |
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@threadreaderapp unroll please
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Thread Reader App
@threadreaderapp
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1. velj |
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Guten tag, you can read it here: Thread by @s_r_constantin: If you ever struggle with “problem behaviors” like losing your temper, feeling like you have… threadreaderapp.com/thread/1223283…. See you soon. 🤖
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Matt Goldenberg
@mattgoldenberg
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1. velj |
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Matt Goldenberg
@mattgoldenberg
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1. velj |
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I'd expect us outpacing evolution to cause both general biases, as well as broken learning algorithms.
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