If rationality is about overcoming bias, then I think of the "dark arts" as the weaponization bias. While we don't believe bias ought to be wielded as a weapon, learning how to swing a sword is vital to defending against it.
In this post I'll discuss a dark art I call "inception". Inception is a 2010 film whose premise is planting an idea in someone else's mind (through the power of dreams). Leonardo DiCaprio's mission to is to plant in Cillian Murphy's mind the idea that he should dissolve his father's company.
Why the idea had to be "planted", and not merely communicated in normal conversation, is because people are very attached to their... (read 661 more words →)