Participant handbook

Abstract

The Center for Applied Rationality (CFAR) Participant Handbook is a reference guide for individuals who have attended CFAR workshops. The handbook begins by providing a broad introduction to the concepts behind applied rationality, including an overview of how humans tend to make decisions and the distinction between tacit and explicit knowledge. It then provides detailed breakdowns of specific rationality techniques, such as units of exchange, inner simulator, trigger-action planning, goal factoring, focusing, bucket errors, double crux, systemization, taste & shaping, comfort zone expansion, resolve cycles, Hamming questions, and internal double crux. While acknowledging the strengths of various rationality techniques, the handbook emphasizes the importance of maintaining an open mind, embracing uncertainty, and seeking to understand rather than simply to justify existing beliefs. The handbook provides a wealth of advice, tips, and strategies, designed to assist individuals in improving their own thinking and their capacity to make better decisions, achieve their goals, and navigate the complexities of human life. – AI-generated abstract