I think “actively hostile and antagonistic” is unfair, but even if it were true, majority and might do not make right, in politics, rationality, AI alignment, or anything else. There are plenty of important issues and beliefs of all kinds for which most people are deeply mistaken about. Coming to terms with this fact can sometimes make people cynical or despairing, or make them come across as hostile / alienating, but I don’t think that’s actually true of Richard or most other folks around here.
(OTOH, not acknowledging that most people are wrong about some pretty fundamental things and then grappling honestly with the implications of that is usually incompatible with truth-seeking, and can come across as patronizing to the people and groups one claims to empathize with.)
I think “actively hostile and antagonistic” is unfair, but even if it were true, majority and might do not make right, in politics, rationality, AI alignment, or anything else. There are plenty of important issues and beliefs of all kinds for which most people are deeply mistaken about. Coming to terms with this fact can sometimes make people cynical or despairing, or make them come across as hostile / alienating, but I don’t think that’s actually true of Richard or most other folks around here.
(OTOH, not acknowledging that most people are wrong about some pretty fundamental things and then grappling honestly with the implications of that is usually incompatible with truth-seeking, and can come across as patronizing to the people and groups one claims to empathize with.)