Interesting that you find the usage of “you” and “we” patronizing. I hadn’t thought of it like that—I intended it as a way to make the post less formal and build a more comfortable atmosphere to the reader.
Using “you” is a two-edged sword; it can create greater intimacy with your audience, but only if you know your audience well enough, and don’t mind polarizing your response, or are willing to limit yourself to hypotheticals (e.g. “if you walked into a doctor’s office”)
If you’re less certain of your audience, but still want the strong intimacy or identification response, you may want to use “I” instead. By telling a story that your reader can relate to… that is, a story of how you made this discovery, found out why it’s important, or applied it in some way to achieve a goal the reader shares or recognizes as valuable, then you allow the reader to simply identify with you on a less conscious/contentious level.
(Notice, for example, how many of Eliezer’s best posts begin with such a story, either about Eliezer or some fictional characters.)
Using “you” is a two-edged sword; it can create greater intimacy with your audience, but only if you know your audience well enough, and don’t mind polarizing your response, or are willing to limit yourself to hypotheticals (e.g. “if you walked into a doctor’s office”)
If you’re less certain of your audience, but still want the strong intimacy or identification response, you may want to use “I” instead. By telling a story that your reader can relate to… that is, a story of how you made this discovery, found out why it’s important, or applied it in some way to achieve a goal the reader shares or recognizes as valuable, then you allow the reader to simply identify with you on a less conscious/contentious level.
(Notice, for example, how many of Eliezer’s best posts begin with such a story, either about Eliezer or some fictional characters.)