Based on the comments you’ve left so far in response to what I’ve been writing, I estimate a low probability that you are genuinely intrigued by what I might think about certain questions, and a much higher probability that you are baiting.
However, just in case the less probable hypothesis is true, I will for once respond to you. Namely, if you want me to talk about things that I’m reluctant to discuss because I’m not sure if it’s worth the controversy it will cause, then I’d first like to see that you’re making some effort to understand the arguments that I have already made on related topics. So far, I’ve seen zero indication of this, which makes it likely that you are indeed baiting.
Now, this may be a misunderstanding on my part, but honestly, I can hardly see how it might be so. Someone who is genuinely curious about my contrarian opinions would make some effort to respond intelligently to those comments where I have already discussed them, even if I’ve done it only in a cautious and indirect way. You, on the other hand, have shown absolutely no inclination to do so. Rather, you are behaving as if you are eager to get some juicy soundbites that would be a convenient target for attack. And you can’t possibly claim that my writings so far have been devoid of substance, since dozens of other people have evidently found enough substance in them to write well-thought-out responses.
Sorry, but I’m just stunned by such an interpretation. Okay, I’ll try to assess some of your more outstanding and upvoted comments as fairly as I can and respond to the best of my ability, if that’s what it takes to initiate a dialogue. I was, however, quite unaware that my remarks could’ve been taken to express any disrespect of your intelligence and epistemic virtue, or disregard for your viewpoints.
Indeed, if you take a look at the enormous thread that was LW’s response to my query in this fascinating direction, you’ll see that I’ve been striving to consider opinions carefully, avoid knee-jerk reactions and associate with “far out” viewpoints first before judging them (that last one is especially challenging for me—if anyone’s interested, I’ll try to outline why). I honestly don’t understand why my desire to learn new perspectives, to consider their implications—and, yes, argue about them, but without aiming for their suppression or vilification of their holders—has now been met with such derision.
If you feel that the above is just so much self-congratulation and platitude, go ahead and tell me so, but, now at least, I really believe that I tried my best and sparked off valuable, constructive discussion with that post.
I’ve been striving to consider opinions carefully, avoid knee-jerk reactions and associate with “far out” viewpoints first before judging them (that last one is especially challenging for me—if anyone’s interested, I’ll try to outline why).
I’m trying to abstain from posting, but, in brief, I suspect it’s the same thing that prompted e.g. my (over)reaction to reading Three Worlds Collide, the infanticide thread by Bakkot and some other stuff here. When encountering strong arguments against some element of ordinary, mainstream, liberal commonsense ethics (alongside with guilt for hardly living up to those in the first place), I tend to feel morally imperiled, disgusted by aspects of my own character, unsure of my worth as a person and easy to turn to “evil”. I know how wild and unhealthy this sounds, but such things always appear so personal and not-abstract to me, I just can’t help it.
Someone here once told me that this might be not unusual for people who perceive sociopathic tendencies within themselves and repress them; they view all such tricky problems through the prism of their own perceived moral deficiencies. Sigh, I wish I could explain in a less obtuse manner.
Hmm. I think I understand. I’m the opposite in some ways: I get a wild thrill of excitement and happiness at “taboo” thoughts or ideas, and I’m biased towards them. I remember first discovering Holocaust revisionists and being amazingly awed at the daring and conviction and wrongness of what they were saying.
I don’t know what this says about my personality.
That said, I get somewhat annoyed at overly cynical or oversimplified explanations of complex phenomena, such as when people say that the educational system or the legal system is all about status signaling, or the PUA theory that everything is a test and it’s all about dominance and social value.
What “evil” bothers you the most? And what was your reaction to TWC? You can probably guess what mine was.
Based on the comments you’ve left so far in response to what I’ve been writing, I estimate a low probability that you are genuinely intrigued by what I might think about certain questions, and a much higher probability that you are baiting.
However, just in case the less probable hypothesis is true, I will for once respond to you. Namely, if you want me to talk about things that I’m reluctant to discuss because I’m not sure if it’s worth the controversy it will cause, then I’d first like to see that you’re making some effort to understand the arguments that I have already made on related topics. So far, I’ve seen zero indication of this, which makes it likely that you are indeed baiting.
Now, this may be a misunderstanding on my part, but honestly, I can hardly see how it might be so. Someone who is genuinely curious about my contrarian opinions would make some effort to respond intelligently to those comments where I have already discussed them, even if I’ve done it only in a cautious and indirect way. You, on the other hand, have shown absolutely no inclination to do so. Rather, you are behaving as if you are eager to get some juicy soundbites that would be a convenient target for attack. And you can’t possibly claim that my writings so far have been devoid of substance, since dozens of other people have evidently found enough substance in them to write well-thought-out responses.
......
Sorry, but I’m just stunned by such an interpretation. Okay, I’ll try to assess some of your more outstanding and upvoted comments as fairly as I can and respond to the best of my ability, if that’s what it takes to initiate a dialogue. I was, however, quite unaware that my remarks could’ve been taken to express any disrespect of your intelligence and epistemic virtue, or disregard for your viewpoints.
Indeed, if you take a look at the enormous thread that was LW’s response to my query in this fascinating direction, you’ll see that I’ve been striving to consider opinions carefully, avoid knee-jerk reactions and associate with “far out” viewpoints first before judging them (that last one is especially challenging for me—if anyone’s interested, I’ll try to outline why). I honestly don’t understand why my desire to learn new perspectives, to consider their implications—and, yes, argue about them, but without aiming for their suppression or vilification of their holders—has now been met with such derision.
If you feel that the above is just so much self-congratulation and platitude, go ahead and tell me so, but, now at least, I really believe that I tried my best and sparked off valuable, constructive discussion with that post.
I’m interested. Why?
I’m trying to abstain from posting, but, in brief, I suspect it’s the same thing that prompted e.g. my (over)reaction to reading Three Worlds Collide, the infanticide thread by Bakkot and some other stuff here. When encountering strong arguments against some element of ordinary, mainstream, liberal commonsense ethics (alongside with guilt for hardly living up to those in the first place), I tend to feel morally imperiled, disgusted by aspects of my own character, unsure of my worth as a person and easy to turn to “evil”. I know how wild and unhealthy this sounds, but such things always appear so personal and not-abstract to me, I just can’t help it. Someone here once told me that this might be not unusual for people who perceive sociopathic tendencies within themselves and repress them; they view all such tricky problems through the prism of their own perceived moral deficiencies.
Sigh, I wish I could explain in a less obtuse manner.
Hmm. I think I understand. I’m the opposite in some ways: I get a wild thrill of excitement and happiness at “taboo” thoughts or ideas, and I’m biased towards them. I remember first discovering Holocaust revisionists and being amazingly awed at the daring and conviction and wrongness of what they were saying.
I don’t know what this says about my personality.
That said, I get somewhat annoyed at overly cynical or oversimplified explanations of complex phenomena, such as when people say that the educational system or the legal system is all about status signaling, or the PUA theory that everything is a test and it’s all about dominance and social value.
What “evil” bothers you the most? And what was your reaction to TWC? You can probably guess what mine was.