This weekly roundup thread is intended for all culture war posts. 'Culture war' is vaguely defined, but it basically means controversial issues that fall along set tribal lines. Arguments over culture war issues generate a lot of heat and little light, and few deeply entrenched people ever change their minds. This thread is for voicing opinions and analyzing the state of the discussion while trying to optimize for light over heat.
Optimistically, we think that engaging with people you disagree with is worth your time, and so is being nice! Pessimistically, there are many dynamics that can lead discussions on Culture War topics to become unproductive. There's a human tendency to divide along tribal lines, praising your ingroup and vilifying your outgroup - and if you think you find it easy to criticize your ingroup, then it may be that your outgroup is not who you think it is. Extremists with opposing positions can feed off each other, highlighting each other's worst points to justify their own angry rhetoric, which becomes in turn a new example of bad behavior for the other side to highlight.
We would like to avoid these negative dynamics. Accordingly, we ask that you do not use this thread for waging the Culture War. Examples of waging the Culture War:
-
Shaming.
-
Attempting to 'build consensus' or enforce ideological conformity.
-
Making sweeping generalizations to vilify a group you dislike.
-
Recruiting for a cause.
-
Posting links that could be summarized as 'Boo outgroup!' Basically, if your content is 'Can you believe what Those People did this week?' then you should either refrain from posting, or do some very patient work to contextualize and/or steel-man the relevant viewpoint.
In general, you should argue to understand, not to win. This thread is not territory to be claimed by one group or another; indeed, the aim is to have many different viewpoints represented here. Thus, we also ask that you follow some guidelines:
-
Speak plainly. Avoid sarcasm and mockery. When disagreeing with someone, state your objections explicitly.
-
Be as precise and charitable as you can. Don't paraphrase unflatteringly.
-
Don't imply that someone said something they did not say, even if you think it follows from what they said.
-
Write like everyone is reading and you want them to be included in the discussion.
On an ad hoc basis, the mods will try to compile a list of the best posts/comments from the previous week, posted in Quality Contribution threads and archived at /r/TheThread. You may nominate a comment for this list by clicking on 'report' at the bottom of the post and typing 'Actually a quality contribution' as the report reason.
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
I am increasingly coming to believe that a sizable portion of the professional managerial class is simply less nuerologically developed than most ordinary people.
Lacking the experience of agency they lack ability to percieve other humans and animals as agents and as such are unable to develop a coherent theory of mind even if/when they are able to recognize the need.
To "really consider strategically quieting down" they would first have to recognize the strategic benefits of quieting down. To do that they would first have to have some awareness of how their behavior looks to an outside observer, which in turn requires the internal concept of an outside observer. It is this internal concept that appears to be missing in a lot of discussions.
In much the same way that Scott alleged that Haitians lack numerancy and the ability to understand hypotheticals, I allege that a lot of the PMC (including Scott) lack the capacity to understand how or why somone might react differently to you based on your prior behavior.
Lots of the liberal elite seem to lack the theory of mind as to why the chuds don’t trust them, true, but I don’t have a theory of mind as to why Koreans tolerate their education system. I don’t think it’s a lack of brain processing it’s just different culture. Not everything is a neurological difference.
More options
Context Copy link
That's a pretty inflammatory claim. Please recall the relevant rule.
Three day ban.
Seems like an overreaction. Based on his own observations about how these people speak, it's not clear that they understand the effect their words have on people. The psychologizing was maybe a bit much, but I wouldn't call it highly inflammatory so much as a way to explain why certain people continuously make breathless statements that their audience has long ago gotten tired of hearing (e.g. "Trump is a fascist").
Hmm, maybe you’re right. In the spirit of Jan 6, I’ll commute it to time served.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
No need to invent new psychology. They've just been in power long enough they got used to it and don't react well to having things imposed on them.
Hubris leading to downfall is a recurring narrative theme for a reason. It's hard to be wise when you can always force the issue. Well until you can't.
Maybe, but I've read too many retarded takes from ostensibly intelligent people in the last year to not suspect something deeper behind it.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link