On Sincerity

This website is an extension of a printed copy of the essay On Sincerity, by Joe Carlsmith. You can find the original essay online here, and an audio version read by the author here.

Clicking on ink doesn't open webpages. So, hyperlinks from the original look like this1 in the printed version — blue, with a subscript number. The referenced URL can be found at onsincerity.com/[number] (in that example, onsincerity.com/1). The titles, authors, and URLs of all hyperlinks in the essay can be found below, as well as in the appendix at the end of the printed version.

  1. Joe Carlsmith's homepage, Joe Carlsmithjoecarlsmith.com
  2. "Go to the Limits of Your Longing," Rilketumblr.com/apoemaday/107332346812/go-to-the-limits-of-your-longing
  3. "Scout Mindset: Why Some People See Things Clearly and Others Don't," Julia Galefamazon.com/Scout-Mindset-Perils-Defensive-Thinking/dp/0735217556
  4. "Jean d'Arc," Eugène Thirioncommons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jeanne_d'_Arc_(Eugene_Thirion).jpg
  5. "On Clinging," Joe Carlsmithjoecarlsmith.com/2021/01/24/on-clinging
  6. "When should an Effective Altruist be vegetarian?," Katja Gracemeteuphoric.com/2014/11/21/when-should-an-effective-altruist-be-vegetarian/
  7. "Falstaff's 'Honour' Speech," William Shakespeare (read by Lex Reis)woub.org/2019/03/07/falstaffs-honour-speech/
  8. "Falstaff mit großer Weinkanne und Becher," Eduard von Grütznercommons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grützner_Falstaff_mit_Kanne.jpg
  9. "When should an Effective Altruist be vegetarian?," Katja Gracemeteuphoric.com/2014/11/21/when-should-an-effective-altruist-be-vegetarian/
  10. "Scout Mindset: Why Some People See Things Clearly and Others Don't," Julia Galefamazon.com/Scout-Mindset-Perils-Defensive-Thinking/dp/0735217556
  11. "The Bottom Line," Eliezer Yudkowskylesswrong.com/posts/34XxbRFe54FycoCDw/the-bottom-line
  12. "Care and demandingness," Joe Carlsmithjoecarlsmith.com/2021/03/07/care-and-demandingness
  13. "Involuntary Evil and the Socratic Problem of Double Ignorance in Proclus," Danielle A. Laynebrill.com/view/journals/jpt/9/1/article-p27_2.xml?language=en
  14. "Weakness of Will," Sarah Stroud and Larisa Svirsky, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophyplato.stanford.edu/entries/weakness-will/
  15. "Weakness of Will" (links to section 3.2 "Weakness of Will as Potentially Rational"), Sarah Stroud and Larisa Svirsky, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophyplato.stanford.edu/entries/weakness-will/#WeakWillPoteRati
  16. "The Conscience of Huckleberry Finn," Jonathan Bennettearlymoderntexts.com/assets/jfb/huckfinn.pdf
  17. "The Missing Moods," Bryan Caplaneconlib.org/archives/2016/01/the_invisible_t.html
  18. "Care and demandingness," Joe Carlsmithjoecarlsmith.com/2021/03/07/care-and-demandingness
  19. "Not yet gods," Nate Soaresmindingourway.com/not-yet-gods/
  20. "Nobody Is Perfect, Everything Is Commensurable," Scott Alexanderslatestarcodex.com/2014/12/19/nobody-is-perfect-everything-is-commensurable/
  21. "Alienation and meta-ethics (or: is it possible you should maximize helium?)," Joe Carlsmithjoecarlsmith.com/2020/12/20/alienation-and-meta-ethics-or-is-it-possible-you-should-maximize-helium
  22. "Hamlet," Act 1, Scene 2 (links to "These indeed seem...and the suits of woe"), William Shakespearemyshakespeare.com/hamlet/act-1-scene-2
  23. "Hamlet," William Morris Huntcommons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hamlet_William_Morris_Hunt.jpeg
  24. "Smart Sincere Syndrome," Robin Hansonovercomingbias.com/2009/12/the-smart-sincere-syndrome.html
  25. "The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life," Kevin Simler and Robin Hansonamazon.com/Elephant-Brain-Hidden-Motives-Everyday/dp/0190495995
  26. "Hamlet," Act 1, Scene 2 (links to "These indeed seem...and the suits of woe"), William Shakespearemyshakespeare.com/hamlet/act-1-scene-2
  27. "On Clinging," Joe Carlsmithjoecarlsmith.com/2021/01/24/on-clinging
  28. "Why I Write," George Orwellorwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-foundation/orwell/essays-and-other-works/why-i-write/
  29. "Song of Myself, 51," Walt Whitmanpoets.org/poem/song-myself-51
  30. "Internal Family Systems Model," Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_Family_Systems_Model
  31. "The Larger Self," Richard Schwartzifs-institute.com/resources/articles/larger-self
  32. "Poems by Philip Larkin," Philip Larkinshigeku.com/xlib/lingshidao/waiwen/larkin.htm
  33. "Don't Look Up," Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don't_Look_Up
  34. "Something to Protect," Eliezer Yudkowskylesswrong.com/posts/SGR4GxFK7KmW7ckCB/something-to-protect
  35. "The Unbearable Lightness of Being," Milan Kunderamsjkeeler.com/uploads/1/4/0/6/1406968/milan_kundera_-_the_unbearable_lightness_of_being.pdf
  36. "A True Person of No Status," Michael Stonesoundcloud.com/michaelstoneteaching/a-true-person-of-no-status
  37. "Care and demandingness," Joe Carlsmithjoecarlsmith.com/2021/03/07/care-and-demandingness
  38. "Care and demandingness" (links to section IV "Is morality different?"), Joe Carlsmithjoecarlsmith.com/2021/03/07/care-and-demandingness#iv-is-morality-different
  39. "Not yet gods," Nate Soaresmindingourway.com/not-yet-gods/
  40. "Effective Altruism Has a Novelty Problem," Freddie deBoerfreddiedeboer.substack.com/p/effective-altruism-has-a-novelty
  41. "Perelandra," C.S. Lewisamazon.com/Perelandra-Space-Trilogy-Book-2/dp/074323491X
  42. "Islam," Jennifer Green and Michael Greenlink.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4899-7216-3_28
  43. "Twelve Virtues of Rationality," Eliezer Yudkowskylesswrong.com/posts/7ZqGiPHTpiDMwqMN2/twelve-virtues-of-rationality
  44. "The Cost of Discipleship," Dietrich Bonhoeffergoodreads.com/work/quotes/2723088-nachfolge
  45. "Peace Prayer," (attributed to St. Francis of Assisi)loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/prayer/traditional-catholic-prayers/saints-prayers/peace-prayer-of-saint-francis/
  46. "Adam Smith on Men of Public Spirit," Adam Smitholl.libertyfund.org/quote/adam-smith-public-spirit
  47. "House Lannister," Wiki of Westerosgameofthrones.fandom.com/wiki/House_Lannister
  48. "Petyr Baelish," Wiki of Westerosgameofthrones.fandom.com/wiki/Petyr_Baelish
  49. "On the limits of idealized values," Joe Carlsmithjoecarlsmith.com/2021/06/21/on-the-limits-of-idealized-values
  50. "The Unity of Virtue," John M. Coopercambridge.org/core/journals/social-philosophy-and-policy/article/abs/unity-of-virtue/FB7BAE5306153BD998EB4F2FA71C7E12
  51. "Nero's Torches," Henryk Siemiradzkicommons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Siemiradski_Fackeln.jpg
  52. "Go to the Limits of Your Longing," Rainer Maria Rilkeonbeing.org/poetry/go-to-the-limits-of-your-longing/
  53. "Morality and constrained maximization, part 1," Joe Carlsmithjoecarlsmith.com/2021/12/21/morality-and-constrained-maximization-part-1
  54. "I do things because they feel good..." (Cersei Lannister quote), D. B. Weissquotecatalog.com/quote/d-b-weiss-i-do-things-bec-O1MLXRa
  55. "Game of Thrones 6x10 Cersei's Revenge Shame Women Septon Game of Thrones," Syed Osaid ul Haqyoutu.be/05KRRoSqmo0?t=43
  56. "Internal Family Systems Model," Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_Family_Systems_Model
  57. "The Larger Self," Richard Schwartzifs-institute.com/resources/articles/larger-self
  58. "What is Self and Self-Energy in IFS (Internal Family Systems) Therapy," Alessio Rizzotherapywithalessio.com/articles/what-is-self-and-self-energy-in-ifs-internal-family-systems-therapy
  59. "Go to the Limits of Your Longing," Rainer Maria Rilkeonbeing.org/poetry/go-to-the-limits-of-your-longing/
  60. "Meta-Ethics" (category page), Joe Carlsmithjoecarlsmith.com/category/meta-ethics
  61. "I do things because they feel good..." (Cersei Lannister quote), D. B. Weissquotecatalog.com/quote/d-b-weiss-i-do-things-bec-O1MLXRa
  62. "Subjectivism and moral authority," Joe Carlsmithjoecarlsmith.com/2021/03/01/subjectivism-and-moral-authority
  63. "'Should' considered harmful," Nate Soaresmindingourway.com/should-considered-harmful/
  64. "Against the normative realist's wager" (links to section V "Speaking the nihilist's language"), Joe Carlsmithjoecarlsmith.com/2022/10/09/against-the-normative-realists-wager#v-speaking-the-nihilist-s-language
  65. Comment via LessWrong on "On Sincerity," Paul Christianolesswrong.com/posts/WDwGqLd2Puedouogq/on-sincerity?commentId=WMAh3ezr6inXauBxp#comments
  66. "Concealment and Exposure," Thomas Nageljstor.org/stable/2672839
  67. "The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life," Kevin Simler and Robin Hansonamazon.com/Elephant-Brain-Hidden-Motives-Everyday/dp/0190495995
  68. "Execution de Robespierre," Unknown authorcommons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Execution_de_Robespierre_full.jpg
  69. "The Art of Donald McGill," George Orwellorwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-foundation/orwell/essays-and-other-works/the-art-of-donald-mcgill/
  70. "Don Quixote and Sancho Panza," Jules Davidcommons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Don_Quixote_and_Sancho_Panza_by_Jules_David.png
  71. "Cult of the Supreme Being" (links to section "Festival of the Supreme Being"), Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_the_Supreme_Being#Festival_of_the_Supreme_Being
  72. "Cult of the Supreme Being," EnduranceRacingFanatic 1987youtu.be/Sd-f_anFJUo?t=132
  73. "La fête de l'Être Suprême, au Champ-de-Mars," Pierre-Antoine Demachycommons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fête_de_l'Etre_suprême_2.jpg
  74. "The Walk and the Talk," Daniela Doverread.dukeupress.edu/the-philosophical-review/article-abstract/128/4/387/140563/The-Walk-and-the-Talk?redirectedFrom=fulltext
  75. "How we will be measured," Nate Soaresmindingourway.com/how-we-will-be-measured/
  76. "Killing the ants" (links to section II "Owning it"), Joe Carlsmithjoecarlsmith.com/2021/02/07/killing-the-ants#ii-owning-it
  77. "Have no excuses," Nate Soaresmindingourway.com/have-no-excuses/
  78. "Nihil Supernum," Eliezer Yudkowskysecularsolstice.github.io/speeches/gen/Nihil_Supernum.html
  79. "The most interesting thing Don't Look Up has to say about the apocalypse," Kelsey Pipervox.com/future-perfect/2022/1/8/22872066/dont-look-up-mckay-dicaprio-existential-risk-apocalypse
  80. "There's No Rule That Says We'll Make It," Robert Milesyoutube.com/watch?v=JD_iA7imAPs

Essay by Joe Carlsmith. Website & printed version by Saul Munn.