> The "they" you are describing is a large body of disparate people spread around the world.
[Citation needed]
I sincerely doubt anything but a tiny insignificant minority consider themselves part of the "rationalist community".
[Citation needed]
I sincerely doubt anything but a tiny insignificant minority consider themselves part of the "rationalist community".
I consider myself a member of both these groups, and I fully agree. Many people are in the rationality community only because they like the vibes, not because they actually try to practice the art. It probably can't be avoided -- the community is open to newcomers and has no formal membership.
The leaderboard shows (50 of) 166385 registered accounts* on https://www.lesswrong.com/leaderboard
This is simultaneously a large body and an insignificant minority.
* How many are junk accounts? IDK. But I do know it's international, because I live in Berlin, Germany, and socialise regularly.
This made me chuckle. Thanks!
I don’t consider myself a Rationalist or part of the Rationalist community.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if that number turns out to overstate the size by an order of magnitude.