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fortyeridania comments on Rationality Quotes April 2013 - LessWrong
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But regardless of whether we believe our own positions are inviolable, it behooves us to know and understand the arguments of those who disagree. We should do this for two reasons. First, our inviolable position may be anything but. What we assume is true could be false. The only way we’ll discover this is to face up to evidence and arguments against our position. Because, as much as we may not enjoy it, discovering we’ve believed a falsehood means we’re now closer to believing the truth than we were before. And that’s something we should only ever feel gratitude for.
Aaron Ross Powell, Free Thoughts
This is why steelmanning is a really good community norm. Social incentives for understanding the other's position are usually bad, but if people give credit for steelmanning, these incentives are better.
"Steelmanning" and "understanding the other's position" aren't really related (to my knowledge).
It's difficult to steelman someone's position if I don't understand it.