The Overpowered Skill of Coining Terms Like 'Paperclip Maximizer'
ChanaMessinger · x · 2026-10-21
Chana Messinger highlights an underrated superpower in the AI/rationality sphere: coining precise new terms — Nathan Calvin's "two ants", "paperclip maximizer", "grown not crafted", and Scott Alexander's constant stream of coinages.
Good coinage compresses complex arguments and shifts discussions; she argues it's worth deliberately leveling up this skill.
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