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PaperclipPerfector  2d ago (text post)   2360 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for March 9, 2025

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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Why is Tesla the exception?

Tesla was the first manufacturer to make a non-concept level electric car that was actually better and desirable instead "like regular car but shittier because it's electric".

This doesn't answer the question of what makes it less shitty than the other electric cars. Or is this just about how things were 10-15 years ago?

The question was "the reason electric cars exist", ie. why did manufacturers start building electric cars?

Back when Tesla hit the scene with Roadster and then Model S they were the only electric car manufacturer who tried to make an actually good car with clear benefits (performance, styling, driving experience). Meanwhile every other manufacturer made an electric car that was worse than regular cars where the selling point was just "for the environment!". Of course Tesla's success forced the other manufacturers to react and start building actually decent electric cars.

What is this place?

This website is a place for people who want to move past shady thinking and test their ideas in a court of people who don't all share the same biases. Our goal is to optimize for light, not heat; this is a group effort, and all commentators are asked to do their part.

The weekly Culture War threads host the most controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy; if in doubt, post!

Check out The Vault for an archive of old quality posts. You are encouraged to crosspost these elsewhere.


Why are you called The Motte?

A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."

On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.


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