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There's no reason to talk about Jan 6 on themotte. The topic exists for one person and they hold it hostage as a one man army. It's pretty remarkable but I don't have the wherewithal in me to withstand the scrutiny.
It feels like what would happen if ChrisPrattAlphaRaptor showed up any time you mentioned COVID to disprove you or interrogate you as if you were a collegial equal. And it's not even solely about that kind of engagement, the obvious amount that this matters to ymehskhout is so large that I'd feel uncomfortable with any engagement at all because without full agreement I'd be immediately be dealing with a hostile adversary who knows far more about this than I do and is schooled in the subject much more than I am as well.
It feels like that guy who posts about Ivermectin and Scott. He probably knows what he's talking about more than me, but it's obvious from the persistence on a specific topic alone that something altogether alien to me is happening for them that's not happening for me and I'd rather just skip and move on to the next topic than engage.
I apologize if you feel like I held the topic hostage or stifled conversation. I can sympathize with the idea that someone might be more knowledgeable about a field but not necessarily share your values or background, and I'm sure if you had access to all the same facts you may reach different conclusions than me. With that in mind, what would you suggest I do? Just lay off the hobby horse for a while? Be less aggressive?
No need to reply if you're uncomfortable, I know this is tangential to your point.
I was trying to imply you didn't do that but what it would be like if you did.
Ah, I see. My apologies.
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I'm not the boss of you or anyone else, but if we're voting, I vote that you continue exactly as you have. I valued your Covid posts very highly.
It would not surprise me that people value this space for wildly divergent reasons, but everything I wrote above would apply to your Covid posts, as well as to @Dean's Ukraine posts. I have been on the wrong end of "hobby horses" and "aggressive" posts before, a number of times. In every case I can think of, it was a valuable experience that served to moderate poor thinking and bias on my part.
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Like Iconochasm, I didn't read the commenting as suggesting you do that, as much as that you could.
Now, I am not the person you were asking, have no personal sense of your practices, and so can't speak to your habbits, but if you were serious about seeking general suggestions...
'Be less aggressive' is probably the best advice if you raise it for yourself. That doesn't mean not having your position, but don't burn bridges for random encounters, and express a intellectual humilitary that acknowledges how you could be wrong, especially if it leaves a way for the other person to maybe be partially right.
For most/more casual people, overkill is worse than just enough. Providing context- rather than a direct challenge- is far less intimidating, and it doesn't need to be patronizing either. 'You might be interested in reading X, Y, Z' is a much more engaging way than 'You obviously hadn't read X, Y, Z.' A summation of points is better than filibustering and gish-galloping. Not addressing every point- and just being clear you're only addressing a few points for Reasons- makes an engagement more of a redirection (had you considered this/this isn't supported by other things) than a full body tackle (let me tell you how each and every one of your points is wrong). There are absolutely some people you should engage more for public audience perception than individual persuasion (ie, bad faith actors), but if you just think someone is wrong, it's rarely worth it to rub their nose in it. Unless, again, you're very explicit and deliberately deciding to write off future engagement with them.
Similarly, being generous with your own limited understanding- not in a 'I can't see how reasonable people could see that', but 'my own difficulties are in the nuances of X, Y, and Z'- can be a good salve, especially if it just-so-happens overlays with someone's interest/point. 'I believe you're wrong about much of what you say, but this is one area you may be right and I wrong' is a good way to offer a face saving exit to the other person, while presenting two tokens of respect to them. First, you recognize what they do right, not just disagree about what they do wrong. Second, you offer the respect of acknowledging your own limits, and that you might have something to learn from... if not them, then someone they might have read from, or respect in turn. This builds a different sort of dynamic, of senior-junior rather than master-novice, with a far less domineering tone. To pick a personal example, there are many cases when international politics come around that US-skeptic/anti-US people will do what I see as jumping to a conclusion that the US is to blame for [incident X]. Even if I disagree, I'm often willing to concede 'well, I wouldn't be surprised' in the mix of 'but all these other points really don't work.'
For the timing of your hobby horse, it's probably good to not jump into every thread/discussion on it- at least not to argue- but really just not being a one trick animal. Throw in a little variety in there- an effort post about something else, a piece of reflection not about your hobby, even some pop culture or something funny- just to prove you have other interests, and aren't obsessed about this One Thing.
Which- to reiterate- I don't think you are, because I don't have enough of an opinion on you to have an opinion. (Other than I read your ask as sincere, which I respect, as opposed to false-humility, which I don't.)
Thank you! All very good advice, and you were correct that I misread OP. Yes, I was being sincere.
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I didn't read that comment as suggesting that you do that, merely that you clearly have sufficient subject matter expertise that you could. In a community like this, where many of us have an amateur interest in complicated legal matters, it is very noticeable which of us are actual practicing lawyers.
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