I have one of these, and I highly value our relationship. My friend and I have very basic disagreements in our worldview: I’m a mystic, and he’s a rationalist. We spend our time working through our differences. He’s done more than anybody else to make me question and revise my views on things. I think I’ve become significantly more correct, and a little bit wiser, due to his influence. He’s also the reason I’m here on Less Wrong.
It’s actually surprisingly hard to get to a point with somebody where you respect them and listen to them, despite having fundamental disagreements in your worldview. Every disagreement wears down rapport, and so extended discussions of fundamental differences in beliefs are a challenge for a relationship. I’m grateful to my partner for the fact that he still listens to my ideas when I’ve said so many things that I know seemed like nonsense to him.
I have one of these, and I highly value our relationship. My friend and I have very basic disagreements in our worldview: I’m a mystic, and he’s a rationalist. We spend our time working through our differences. He’s done more than anybody else to make me question and revise my views on things. I think I’ve become significantly more correct, and a little bit wiser, due to his influence. He’s also the reason I’m here on Less Wrong.
It’s actually surprisingly hard to get to a point with somebody where you respect them and listen to them, despite having fundamental disagreements in your worldview. Every disagreement wears down rapport, and so extended discussions of fundamental differences in beliefs are a challenge for a relationship. I’m grateful to my partner for the fact that he still listens to my ideas when I’ve said so many things that I know seemed like nonsense to him.