“The Dark Arts As A Scaffolding Skill For Rationality” by Screwtape

Epistemic status: Exploratory

Recently I wrote an essay about Scaffolding Skills. The short explanation is that some skills aren’t the thing you’re actually trying to get good at, but they help you learn the thing you’re actually trying to get good at. Briefly, the literal scaffolds are the temporary thin platforms you see on the outside of construction projects, which give builders a place to stand when constructing or repairing a more permanent building.

The two sentence summary of this essay is this: In martial arts dojos your partner will often throw punches at you which they would not use in a real fight, so you can practice parrying in a safer environment. I believe a rationality dojo would have your partner lie to you in ways they would not use in an ideal discussion, so you can practice responding.

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Being able to lie well is not [...]

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First published:

August 1st, 2025

Source:

https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/YFd7xqJyHapsaDrqp/the-dark-arts-as-a-scaffolding-skill-for-rationality

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.