I mostly agree with what you are saying, but I’m not sure what the phrase “high status” is intended to add. High status is not the same as “clear thinking” or “rationally weighing the evidence”—and it is dangerous to pretend otherwise.
Whether or not I’m clear thinking doesn’t depend on the group in which I’m operating. The views that I can espouse do depend on my social status within the group. If I’m high status I’m not constrained to argue views that are socially accepted. I can argue views based on their intellectual merits.
Fellow members in the group will value me for arguing views based on their intellectual merits without any consideration of respecting ideas. If I’m operating in a low status enviroment it’s more important to signal respect to popular ideas and disrespect to the wrong ideas.
Of course I can also say that I don’t care about the approval. If I fail to give respect to the right ideas on LessWrong it won’t have much bad implications for my daily life.
If I’m however arguing in a sphere where the approval of other people matter, it effects the views that I can publically espouse.
I mostly agree with what you are saying, but I’m not sure what the phrase “high status” is intended to add. High status is not the same as “clear thinking” or “rationally weighing the evidence”—and it is dangerous to pretend otherwise.
Whether or not I’m clear thinking doesn’t depend on the group in which I’m operating. The views that I can espouse do depend on my social status within the group. If I’m high status I’m not constrained to argue views that are socially accepted. I can argue views based on their intellectual merits.
Fellow members in the group will value me for arguing views based on their intellectual merits without any consideration of respecting ideas. If I’m operating in a low status enviroment it’s more important to signal respect to popular ideas and disrespect to the wrong ideas.
Of course I can also say that I don’t care about the approval. If I fail to give respect to the right ideas on LessWrong it won’t have much bad implications for my daily life. If I’m however arguing in a sphere where the approval of other people matter, it effects the views that I can publically espouse.