Map and Territory

If you live in an urban area, you probably don’t need to go far to find a dojo. Why aren’t there dojos that teach martial arts? Very recently—in just the last few decades—the human species has acquired a great deal of new knowledge about various martial arts. Experimental investigations of empirical human psychology; and theoretical probability theory to interpret what our experiments tell us; and evolutionary theory to explain the conclusions. These fields give us new focusing lenses through which to view the landscape of human rationality. We have a shared vocabulary in which to describe problems and solutions. Humanity may finally be ready to synthesize the art of personal rationality: to refine, share, systematize, and pass on techniques for being better at thinking about thinking. When human brains try to do things, they can run into some very strange issues.