This is the public group rationality diary for December 1-15.

It's a place to record and chat about it if you have done, or are actively doing, things like: 

  • Established a useful new habit
  • Obtained new evidence that made you change your mind about some belief
  • Decided to behave in a different way in some set of situations
  • Optimized some part of a common routine or cached behavior
  • Consciously changed your emotions or affect with respect to something
  • Consciously pursued new valuable information about something that could make a big difference in your life
  • Learned something new about your beliefs, behavior, or life that surprised you
  • Tried doing any of the above and failed

Or anything else interesting which you want to share, so that other people can think about it, and perhaps be inspired to take action themselves. Try to include enough details so that everyone can use each other's experiences to learn about what tends to work out, and what doesn't tend to work out.

Thanks to cata for starting the Group Rationality Diary posts, and to commenters for participating.

Previous diary: November 16-30

Next diary: December 16-31

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Established a useful new habit

I slightly improved my writing, esp. of letters, by conciously using more positive terms even for critical points, sandwiching negative points and adding specific examples (not always three, but I trty to think of at least one).

Decided to behave in a different way in some set of situations

Triggered by lament by my ex-wife I decided to change my routine for change-over of the children. Even though it requires some extra work on my side I think all involved will profit from it. She because of less uncertainty on her side. The children by increased reliability and I indirectly by reduced stress.

Optimized some part of a common routine or cached behavior

As mentioned here I used CBT to get rid of one bothersome habit:

Consciously pursued new valuable information about something that could make a big difference in your life

Locked up joint custody rules and found out that they are not to my advantage. Previously the consequences were a looming threat for my ex-wife and I hope I could reduce her fears by forwarding her some links in this regard.

Learned something new about your beliefs, behavior, or life that surprised you

Went to a disco with collegues after a christmas party. This was basically the first time I have been into a disco and actually perceived how this works. I had great company and even though the disco wasn't that great I learned some disco steps and most important perceive this more fully.

Tried doing any of the above and failed

I tried to start a projects group "systems" in junior high school to pass on systems thinking in a practical and easy way. But I failed to attract interested pupils despite really interesting material (I think).

My brilliant plan to tell everyone my plan to go knock on startup doors did not magically give me motivation to get out the door and knock on startup doors.

I still feel plenty of guilt and embarrassment about it; that much went as planned. Quite possibly those social consequences are too far away to care about relative to the inconvenience of driving and the nearer SCARY-INSECURE-REJECTION.

update: asked my roommate to go with me to places