Patri Friedman

May 12th, 2023

• good take on faith by Patri Friedman
  • > Saw an interesting angle on the benefits of something that could be called faith - trusting something larger than yourself which you don't understand (a "Higher Power" in 12-step parlance).
    Often we aren't able to see possibilities because our mental models are incomplete or misapplied; we have limiting beliefs; etc - our mind is in a certain state, that can imagine and understand certain things, which are a small subset of what is true.
    Hence, even with a strong focus on personal growth & lots of research, one can be working within an impoverished possibility space without even knowing it. A way out is to choose some source of wisdom - it could be a person (therapist, wise friend), a community of practice, or a spiritual higher power, and follow their advice even when - especially when - it doesn't make sense to you or seems slightly wrong. (But perhaps not when it makes sense and seems clearly wrong!)
    This is very difficult for me, since I've been independent to a fault (I literally only started reading directions in the last 5 years - before that I would just always assume I knew how many seconds to foozle the whatsit before letting it dry or whatever). Surrendering my judgment feels like a move that is just barely, painfully available to me.
    So, I'm doing my best to lean into this growth edge. My higher power is a community of practice (ie following the advice of a group of people who have worked together to change in the ways I want to change, while developing & refining principles & practices).
    I'm also working to cultivate a connection to a more spiritual, godlike higher power - I'll always be an atheist (unless god appears), but I'm finding great benefit in treating this connection as an emotional stance - a form of what Buddhists would call "Deity Yoga". (I might record some meditations, or give an online talk on this - leave a "Care" if you're interested.)
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