How to reverse the advice you hear?

(slatestarcodex.com/2014/03/24/should-you-reverse-any-advice-you-hear/)

In short:

1. Are there plausibly near-equal groups of people who need this advice versus the opposite advice?
2. Have you self-selected into the group of people receiving this advice by, for example, being a fan of the blog / magazine / TV channel / political party / self-help-movement offering it?
3. Then maybe the opposite advice, for you in particular, is at least as worthy of consideration.

It's a check against being other-optimized (www.greaterwrong.com/posts/6NvbSwuSAooQxxf7f/beware-of-other-optimizing).

When someone advises you, they may unknowingly be other-optimizing, so try reversing the advice.

Q: What are the factors putting you in a group more likely to need reversing the advice?

What links here

• Reversal test
• 2021-04-25
• Sabbath Commentary