NancyLebovitz comments on Rationality Quotes June 2012 - Less Wrong

4 Post author: OpenThreadGuy 02 June 2012 05:14PM

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Comment author: ChristianKl 02 June 2012 05:25:23PM 22 points [-]

[About the challenge of skeptics to spread their ideas in society] In times of war we need warriors, but this isn't war. You might try to say it is, but it's not a war. We aren't trying to kill an enemy. We are trying to persuade other humans. And in times like that we don't need warriors. What we need are diplomats.

Phil Plait, Don't Be A Dick (around 23:30)

Comment author: NancyLebovitz 03 June 2012 10:58:26AM 4 points [-]

Voted up for the link to the video, which is a good explanation for why dumping hostility on people is not an effective method of convincing them.

Comment author: elspood 05 July 2012 09:44:57PM 2 points [-]

FWIW, those that are 'hostile' don't generally believe they're going to convince the people they're being hostile to. They're after the peanut gallery; the undecided.

Comment author: NancyLebovitz 05 July 2012 11:27:37PM 2 points [-]

The effect on the peanut gallery is hard to track.

It's at least as likely that dumping hostility on outsiders is a way of maintaining group cohesion among those who have already identified themselves with the issue.

Comment author: TimS 05 July 2012 11:42:41PM 0 points [-]

As you say, in-group signalling is a more likely explanation - hostility is widely unpersuasive to those who are actually undecided.

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