Steelmanning: Discover the truth by helping your opponent
This technique really changed the way I engage with others&#x27; ideas [0], the way I approach language design [1], and even my relationships. It&#x27;s so easy for us humans to get caught in a &quot;me vs. you&quot; mentality, but steel-manning really helps break out of that pattern and meaningfully connect with what others are saying.<p>It also unlocks the next level of rationality: the ability to admit you&#x27;re wrong. After that one just needs to learn to actively test their own beliefs, and they can harness the true powers of the human mind.<p>My favorite snippet from Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality: [2]<p>&quot;But make no mistake, Draco, true science really isn&#x27;t like magic, you can&#x27;t just do it and walk away unchanged like learning how to say the words of a new spell. The power comes with a cost, a cost so high that most people refuse to pay it.&quot;<p>Draco nodded at this as though, finally, he&#x27;d heard something he could understand. &quot;And that cost?&quot;<p>&quot;Learning to admit you&#x27;re wrong.&quot;<p>[0] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=31937109" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=31937109</a><p>[1] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;vale.dev&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;vale.dev&#x2F;</a><p>[2] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.hpmor.com&#x2F;chapter&#x2F;7" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.hpmor.com&#x2F;chapter&#x2F;7</a>