benelliott comments on The "Stick Test" - useful tool or just pointless amusement? - Less Wrong

7 Post author: DataPacRat 23 June 2011 06:31PM

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Comment author: benelliott 23 June 2011 10:32:05PM *  6 points [-]

What if you can't tell whether they've actually changed their minds or whether they're just willing to say whatever you want to get you to stop hitting them with a stick?

Comment author: wedrifid 23 June 2011 10:48:16PM 4 points [-]

What if you can't tell whether they've actually changed their minds or whether they're just willing to say whatever you want to get you stop hitting them with a stick?

That is why people usually change their minds. Well, that and the carrot. The social implication of the compliance is usually the important part.

Comment author: DataPacRat 23 June 2011 10:42:23PM 1 point [-]

If they're able to come up with the proper reasoning processes to say what I want when I'm (virtually) hitting them with a stick... then they'll be able to use those same reasoning processes without a stick, and there will be no reason to continue using it on them.