Mistake theory is a mistake: rationalists' charity keeps getting them rugpulled
wfithian · x · 2026-09-04
A widely circulated take argues that the rationalist community's obsession with mistake theory, defaulting to charity and steelmanning adversaries, leaves many unable to grasp real-world power dynamics — making them repeatedly easy marks for malicious, manipulative actors, and shocked each time a rugpull is revealed.
The punchy conclusion: "Sometimes mistake theory is a mistake." It feeds into the community's long-running conflict theory vs. mistake theory debate.
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