Gotta agree with Said, your examples seem pretty bad to me. Especially the first one. Public health officials have lied repeatedly throughout the crisis – there was the stuff about masks (which we didn’t fall for on LW – 1, 2, 3), and there was the time when one of the major public advisors literally admitted to lying. I could name lots more, but in sum no, do not defer to public health officials, they lied multiple times, instead think critically when incorporating their judgments into your own.
I have followed the climate stuff less well. I can tell that lots of government officials and news media types are exaggerating and fitting narratives everywhere, and don’t trust them. I’ve less of an opinion on the scientists.
Those public health official examples seem unrelated to tip #59 (“Those who generate anxiety in you and promise that they have the solution are grifters.”).
I took hermanc1 to be pointing to how, in Feb-Mar 2020, the people who were saying scary sounding stuff (like using the word “pandemic”) and proposing things to do about it were the ones who had insights and were telling it straight. Meanwhile many other people were calling those people out for “fearmongering” or spinning things to downplay the risk in order to prevent panic.
There are grifters who try to generate anxiety so they can sell you something. And also the world contains problems, and noticing problems can induce anxiety, and searching for & sharing (partial) solutions to problems is good. Maybe a sophisticated way of following tip #59 can distinguish between those, but the naive way of doing it can run into trouble and fail to see the smoke.
I of course agree (with original parent comment) that there are real problems and real solutions. I think three things are needed to qualify as a grifter, as compared to an honest informer.
1) The sell. A grifter doesn’t just tell you there’s a problem, they will share the solution for a price. If you give them money (or control), they’ll relieve your worry.
2) The exclusivity. Alternative solutions are specifically highlighted as being insufficient or counterproductive. Somebody engaging in good-faith can acknowledge the costs and benefits of different approaches (while still believing their solution is best).
3) The promise. Grifts promise a solution, not just a tool. An honest informer will have ideas about what can help, but won’t guarantee their success.
I think somebody can fit two of these three and still be in good-faith.
Those public health official examples seem unrelated to tip #59 (“Those who generate anxiety in you and promise that they have the solution are grifters.”).
To the contrary, I think they are directly related, for the same reason that my anti-example of pro-“war on terrorism” public figures is related.
Yeah, I was also looking at the Far Eastern public health officials rather than the Western ones (and definitely not the US). So I forgot about the mask fiasco. I was wearing a mask on a flight back in Feb.
Although some people do exaggerate the claims regarding climate science (Extinction Rebellion), I have not seen government officials do so. If you could point me to a source, that would be interesting. Generally the threat of climate change has been de-emphasised, to the alarm of scientists.
Gotta agree with Said, your examples seem pretty bad to me. Especially the first one. Public health officials have lied repeatedly throughout the crisis – there was the stuff about masks (which we didn’t fall for on LW – 1, 2, 3), and there was the time when one of the major public advisors literally admitted to lying. I could name lots more, but in sum no, do not defer to public health officials, they lied multiple times, instead think critically when incorporating their judgments into your own.
I have followed the climate stuff less well. I can tell that lots of government officials and news media types are exaggerating and fitting narratives everywhere, and don’t trust them. I’ve less of an opinion on the scientists.
Those public health official examples seem unrelated to tip #59 (“Those who generate anxiety in you and promise that they have the solution are grifters.”).
I took hermanc1 to be pointing to how, in Feb-Mar 2020, the people who were saying scary sounding stuff (like using the word “pandemic”) and proposing things to do about it were the ones who had insights and were telling it straight. Meanwhile many other people were calling those people out for “fearmongering” or spinning things to downplay the risk in order to prevent panic.
There are grifters who try to generate anxiety so they can sell you something. And also the world contains problems, and noticing problems can induce anxiety, and searching for & sharing (partial) solutions to problems is good. Maybe a sophisticated way of following tip #59 can distinguish between those, but the naive way of doing it can run into trouble and fail to see the smoke.
I of course agree (with original parent comment) that there are real problems and real solutions. I think three things are needed to qualify as a grifter, as compared to an honest informer.
1) The sell. A grifter doesn’t just tell you there’s a problem, they will share the solution for a price. If you give them money (or control), they’ll relieve your worry.
2) The exclusivity. Alternative solutions are specifically highlighted as being insufficient or counterproductive. Somebody engaging in good-faith can acknowledge the costs and benefits of different approaches (while still believing their solution is best).
3) The promise. Grifts promise a solution, not just a tool. An honest informer will have ideas about what can help, but won’t guarantee their success.
I think somebody can fit two of these three and still be in good-faith.
To the contrary, I think they are directly related, for the same reason that my anti-example of pro-“war on terrorism” public figures is related.
Grifters aren’t always out for your money.
Yeah, I was also looking at the Far Eastern public health officials rather than the Western ones (and definitely not the US). So I forgot about the mask fiasco. I was wearing a mask on a flight back in Feb.
Although some people do exaggerate the claims regarding climate science (Extinction Rebellion), I have not seen government officials do so. If you could point me to a source, that would be interesting. Generally the threat of climate change has been de-emphasised, to the alarm of scientists.