It seems to me like “normal” here is an amalgam of (a) the use of narratives to build coalitions, and (b) a defensive response to authoritarian rules of cognition.
In the OP’s first story, the friend seems to be interpreting the rules of logic as a way of being good at school, to make your statements more defensible against social attacks, but not a way to be good at life. This is distinct from the “arguments as soldiers” intuition, or more broadly, beliefs as expressions of affiliation.
It seems to me like “normal” here is an amalgam of (a) the use of narratives to build coalitions, and (b) a defensive response to authoritarian rules of cognition.
In the OP’s first story, the friend seems to be interpreting the rules of logic as a way of being good at school, to make your statements more defensible against social attacks, but not a way to be good at life. This is distinct from the “arguments as soldiers” intuition, or more broadly, beliefs as expressions of affiliation.
Related:
Nightmare of the perfectly principled
The order of the soul
Are Beliefs Like Clothes?
Belief as Attire