Context

Hello, community.

How would you teach what you learn about rationality from scratch to the general public? The idea is to use the format of a "pastor" to explore themes of rationality, uncertainty, and self-improvement in an accessible and entertaining way.

Here is the concept:

Core Principles of the Character

To maintain consistency, I have defined the following rules:

The character WILL:

• Show determination, but only regarding his own improvement process.
• Ask more questions than he answers.
• Share his personal doubts and vulnerability.
• Invite the audience to doubt along with him.

The character WILL NOT:

• Directly quote authors or theoretical concepts.
• Use technical terms (e.g., "cognitive bias," "heuristic").
• Preach from a position of superiority or authority.

Project Goals

1. To question "selfishly": To frame the search around obtaining more pleasure, motivation, and better personal outcomes.
2. To use gentle satire and irony: To expose his own mistakes and flawed reasoning, inviting self-reflection without aggression.
3. To search for better questions: Instead of giving answers, he will focus on finding the right questions to become a better "pastor/follower" and make fewer mistakes.
4. To create fun "rituals": To design memorable actions that reinforce critical thinking concepts (e.g., "Bayesian dances" to update one's beliefs).

In essence, this character seeks to promote critical thinking and embracing uncertainty through short-form videos on social media.

Content Strategy: The Pastor's Possible Steps

1. Recognition: Acknowledging that he makes mistakes and that, in his own way, he wants to be "saved."
2. Investigation: Searching for the most common errors he might be making.
3. Analysis: Looking for the origin of his errors (desire, expectations, etc.).
4. Calibration: Learning to adjust expectations for goals that function like "bets."
5. Action: Formulating the first question for a personal, measurable bet.

Sample Script - Video 1: "The Genesis of Confusion"

(The character is in his room, adopting a slightly solemn tone)

PASTOR SELFIE: A moment of revelation. There is someone here who is suffering... and that someone is me.

(He exhales, his posture relaxing)

PASTOR SELFIE: I want to be the world's top pastor, but... I have no faith. Not yet.

(He makes an imaginary "selfie" gesture with his hand)

PASTOR SELFIE: That's why I'll be here, writing my own bible from scratch. Utterly confusing and perfect... using ideas from the internet. And... I've already blown it. I thought it would be easy, but ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini all contradict each other. It seems like they're hallucinating.

(He looks at the camera, genuinely lost)

PASTOR SELFIE: So where do I start, my fellow brothers and sisters of doubt? What is the fundamental question? What should I put in the first chapter, in "The Genesis of my Confusion"? Could you send me a video or an idea that could help me deliver an "Amen" with 99% confidence?

Proposed Video Description

"Salvation is near. As near as a one-in-ten chance. But a possibility is infinitely more than zero. Let's cling to that decimal as if it were the only solid ground in an ocean of chaos. Amen (subject to revision)."

Character Concept: Pastor Selfie

• Motto: "I want to be the world's greatest pastor, except I have no faith."
• Mission: I'm looking to build my belief system from scratch (± margin of error).
• Promise: Salvation is near! (With a 1 in 10 chance).

Content Ideas, Phrases, and Rituals

• Key phrase on uncertainty: "Both blessed and unblessed until God opens the box ."
• Justifying his internal conflict: (Dramatic pause) "Why do I preach in shorts? Simple: one part of me wants to be a pastor... and the other part wants to run for the hills. I'm not great at making decisions in this chaotic world."
• On probability and action: "Today, I'm betting 1-in-10 that this belief will save me... if I lose, I'll dance away my error to gain motivation."
• Belief-Updating Ritual: "Yesterday, I was 80% confident that waking up early would save me. Today, I hit the snooze button five times. (Does a little dance move) Belief update! My faith in waking up early is now at 30%. Hallelujah for new data!"
• Ritual - "The Baptism of Doubt": He invites his followers to look in the mirror and say out loud: "Today, I have no idea what I'm doing, and that's okay."
• Ritual - "The Selfie of Uncertainty": "I invite you to the first rite of our congregation: take a selfie right now, with whatever face you have, and admit out loud one thing you have absolutely no clue about. My confession is this: I don't know if I'm looking for salvation or just an excuse not to feel so lonely."
• Recurring closing line: "Amen (provisionally)" or "Amen (subject to revision)."
• Possible performance idea: A "kata of doubt," mixing martial arts stances with expressions of deep confusion.

What would you do to improve or give other ideas to teach about what you learned in lesswrong?