Luke_A_Somers comments on False Friends and Tone Policing - Less Wrong
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Comments (49)
I don't really like "Proof of Opponent's Unreasonableness by Trolling" as an approach, from my side or anyone else's. For almost any movement of size, there will be people who take the bait, so I don't learn much from what announces to a proof of "There exist people on the other side such that, if I poke them with a stick, they will yell."
It can make it harder for the more patient people on the other side to engage with the more patient people on your side, to boot, since now the people you want to dialogue with have to do more work placating the people on their side that you teed off, before a conversation can begin at all.
I think trolling also requires a fair amount of callousness towards the harm/pain etc you're inflicting through your stunt. I prefer, when possible, to engage in something like civil disobedience, where you can show your commitment to your cause by being willing to accept suffering for yourself (jail, beatings, etc) rather than demonstrating the strength of your opinion through your willingness to hurt others.
[That's my general feeling. In this specific instance, I don't think "Don't desecrate a Eucharist" is really equivalent to censorship or banned books, since it doesn't limit your freedom any more than "Don't set your neighbor's house on fire" or "Don't piss in the baptismal font." This kind of politeness doesn't infringe on day-to-day actions of non-believers the way anti-blasphemy laws might generally.]
Right. I do not think fubarofusco was endorsing PZ Meyers' actions - just saying that this wasn't really an argument against them.