The Pondering Well (2.27.25)

What I’m Pondering

I ran across this distinction of rationality recently that’s been interesting to think about. Specifically, instrumental rationality vs epistemic rationality. Essentially, the former is about being really good at finding the most effective means to your ends whereas the latter is about being able to perceive reality in the most accurate way. This is a brief write-up on it that gives a slightly more expansive definition.

I like this as a more nuanced view of intelligence. It helps to make sense of people who are really good at something but also just incredibly misguided in some way. Of course the original context of this was a blog post about Elon Musk, who may have a high level of instrumental rationality but less epistemic. I’m not too interested in delving into the debate about Elon Musk but rather curious about using this as a reflection point about myself.

I will say I’m immediately drawn to epistemic rationality. One of my core values is striving to see reality as it is, rather than how I wish it to be. This assumes there is an objective reality outside of myself and that it is worthwhile for me to be aligned with it. I will say that this may not be the belief system of everyone, but it is what makes sense for me. Am I being intentional about considering new evidence and adjusting accordingly? Where is it more difficult for me to see reality? Why is this? What are my own internal limitations that make me resistant to reality?

But conversely, if I know what my goals and values are, how can I improve my instrumental rationality to achieve those ends? I would say that epistemic rationality is critical to being effective at reaching a goal, so these two forms of rationality are not mutually exclusive but complimentary. Very broadly speaking, the instrumental rationality seems biased towards action. I know that sometimes I can get so caught up in trying to understand reality that I don’t interact enough or take important action. So there is a place for being adept at selecting the best course of action that leads in the direction you want to go.

What I’m Reading

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I haven’t had much time for reading lately and just slowing working my way though this book but enjoying it so far.

What I’m Listening To

A Tear in Space, Glass Animals (youtube) (spotify)

Something to Ponder

What is your nirvana? I had this question posed to me recently and realized it was something I hadn’t really thought about. Obviously this isn’t about the technical meaning of nirvana from the Buddhist tradition, but more broadly about what nirvana means to you on a personal level? And if you can’t really speak to anything that feels like your nirvana, maybe that’s something worth exploring.

Book Recommendation

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amore Towles. I read this book a couple years ago and just watched the miniseries. Of course the book was much better, but the miniseries wasn’t bad either. This book combined historical fiction with a character study and interesting psychological exploration as well. For me, it also really hit on the themes of self-determination and resiliency. While it is great to read non-fiction on personal growth and mindset, I think stories connect with our psyche more deeply. It was one of those books that inspired me in a really powerful way.