Epistemic Viciousness in Canyoneering

The vices that make us bad at acquiring practices and beliefs

Originally published in Instructional Canyoneering Resource on 6/13/2023

Epistemic Viciousness:

'epistemic' means 'having to do with knowledge and the justification of belief' and so, epistemic viciousness is the possession of vices that make one bad at acquiring true beliefs.

Recently, I stumbled upon a paper titled:

"Epistemic Viciousness in the Martial Arts"

In brief, it basically examines how people learn Martial Arts, -in- a dojo environment, -under- the tutelage of a sensei, and eventually develop a set of beliefs that may, or may not be true at all. Some of these beliefs remain true, as long as you remain -in- the dojo, or only spar within individuals of the same discipline. Kung Fu, Jiu Jitsu, Sambo, etc.

Historically speaking, lots of discipline's particular beliefs remained unchallenged, until they got put to the test with the rise of MMA (mixed martial arts) exposing disciplines in an open and mixed environment.

CANYONEERING PARALLELS?

We start learning canyoneering from relatively limited sources, and practice canyoneering/canyoning in relatively isolated environments. This combo becomes our "dojo" (an isolated environment where we learn and practice).

Past our beginner's phase, we may end up encrusting certain beliefs.

When we go out of our "dojo"....do we know the limits of our techniques? Do we know how they compare to other techniques? Do we even know the range of techniques out there?

If you have spent some time in the sport, you probably are already familiar with the 'learning vices' that plage canyoneering:

• Redundancy as a belief.

• Do not use that rigging because is too complicated.

• Instructor said always tie a stopper knot.

• Instructor said never tie a stopper knot.

• We do it this way in this region.

• First descent ethics.

• Leave No Trace ethics.

• and so on...

Take a look at your toolbox and methods, and examine what has been working only because you are at your 'dojo'. And how that ‘dojo’ has become an echo chamber where your beliefs ring true.

I think canyoneering may be entering a "mixed canyoneering arts" era, where pet ‘dojo’ practices and beliefs will get exposed.

Shoutout to Brent Roth for opening the dialog on "belief systems" in canyoneering.

Reference:

https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/T8ddXNtmNSHexhQh8/epistemic-viciousness

https://gilliankrussell.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/epistemicviciousness.pdf