wedrifid 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: wedrifid 05 July 2012 10:15:05PM 3 points [-]

We aren't trying to kill an enemy. We are trying to persuade other humans.

The former is the most powerful method I know of for the latter. As elspood mentioned, it obviously isn't the victims in particular that will be persuaded.

Comment author: phonypapercut 05 July 2012 11:02:01PM 0 points [-]

Wouldn't killing be better described in this context as coercion? Which feels distinct from persuasion, to me.

Comment author: wedrifid 06 July 2012 01:18:48AM 0 points [-]

Wouldn't killing be better described in this context as coercion? Which feels distinct from persuasion, to me.

On humans it does both. Humans are persuaded by power, not merely coerced. (Being persuaded like that is a handy 'hypocrisy' skill given bounded cognition.)

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