cousin_it comments on "Open-Mindedness" - the video - Less Wrong

18 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 14 May 2009 06:17AM

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Comment author: cousin_it 14 May 2009 07:06:58PM *  7 points [-]

I just tried to read your mind from a distance, and this is what I got:

The video's central debating technique is latching on to a word ("open-minded") that presumably carries good connotations even for a superstitious viewer, and using this applause light to drag the viewer through to unwelcome conclusions. "If you think this concept corresponds to good, then you have no option but to think this and that are also good." The Internet abounds with examples of this persuasion style, e.g. in politics: "if you like democracy, you must also like X" whatever X is. We could call this tactic "value extortion". Can't imagine it successfully converting an emotional person - they would just tune out, instinctively feeling it's something akin to mind-rape, even if the concepts presented are totally valid.

I imagine a better approach would be closer to seduction than rape, much softer and less confrontational, defusing questions in the viewer's head at just the moment they're ready to ask them. Takes a lot of effort and empathy though, over and above logically valid reasoning.

Comment author: Vladimir_Nesov 14 May 2009 09:15:13PM 1 point [-]

There comes a time to hire a professional Sith Lord...