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zackmdavis  1yr ago (lesswrong.com)   2064 thread views

Assume Bad Faith

lesswrong.com

A short essay about why I don't think "bad faith" is the best ontology for thinking about people having hidden motives during arguments, which I think is more ubiquitous than the term implies.

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If you are in a conversation with an anon here on TheMotte or in a blog comment thread, you should assume good faith, because otherwise, why are you even talking to them?

I think there are plenty of potential reasons. A big part of why I participate here is to hone arguments, so in some ways someone arguing against me in bad faith is better for me. I get to test out argumentative tactics against people maximally motivated to find flaws in them.

There is also the audience to consider. If this site is anything like the broader internet, there are at least dozens of lurkers for every commenter. If someone is arguing in bad faith your job (to advance your views/values) becomes a lot easier.

That said I agree it's best to assume good faith, or at least not maximally bad faith.

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