What is there to lose by playing power games with people who think that roughly all communication is power games?
Well for one thing, it can get you dragged into negative-sum power games. Like with gambling, if you don’t know what your edge is, you’re better off not playing. If there isn’t a clear way that getting into a Twitter argument about transgenderism helps you accomplish your goals, then in the typical case you waste your time, and you take on a tail risk of ruining your reputation. It’s foolish to take that risk if it doesn’t come with enough potential upside to make it +EV.
If you’re already stuck in such a power game, then by all means play it as such, but don’t go seeking them out.
Well for one thing, it can get you dragged into negative-sum power games. Like with gambling, if you don’t know what your edge is, you’re better off not playing. If there isn’t a clear way that getting into a Twitter argument about transgenderism helps you accomplish your goals, then in the typical case you waste your time, and you take on a tail risk of ruining your reputation. It’s foolish to take that risk if it doesn’t come with enough potential upside to make it +EV.
If you’re already stuck in such a power game, then by all means play it as such, but don’t go seeking them out.