Bound_up comments on Street Epistemology Examples: How to Talk to People So They Change Their Minds - Less Wrong

2 Post author: Bound_up 28 September 2016 09:19PM

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Comment author: Bound_up 29 September 2016 07:04:14PM 1 point [-]

Well, sure, if you actually go out on the street and ask people about things to change their minds AND if they ask you why you're doing it, then you may be forced to choose between honesty and some degree of openness/interest on their part.

But if someone you know expresses a belief, this method is worlds better for helping them identify any flaws in it than just explaining to them why they're wrong. That's how I've used it so far.

The conflict you mention only arises if you're asking strangers about beliefs. It's not weird to ask people you know about their beliefs, and it's not weird to engage strangers about their beliefs if they're the ones instigating.

I find it enormously powerful for the normal encounters of life.