Radical Flank Effect and Reasonable Moderate Effect
The Radical Flank Effect
The radical flank effect is a well-documented phenomenon where radical activists make moderate positions appear more reasonable by shifting the boundaries of acceptable discourse (the Overton window). The idea is that if you want a sensible opinion to move into the Overton window, you can achieve this by supporting a radical flank position. In comparison, the sensible opinion will appear moderate. I think there is also an inverse effect.
The Reasonable Moderate Effect (Inverse Strategy)
When there are two positions in debate and someone wants to push one of them out of the Overton window, they can create a new moderate position that reframes one of the other positions to a radical flank. Thereby the sensible opinion gets moved further out of the Overton window.
The Cave Exploration
Imagine a group of 3 descending into a cave system, searching for riches and driven by curiosity about what lies in the depths.
After some time, stones begin falling from the ceiling. You hear ominous creaking and rumbling noises echoing through the tunnels. Some members of your group have been chipping away at the cave walls looking for minerals and looking to open new paths to go deeper into the cave. The cave is becoming more and more dangerous.
The Reckless: “We need to go deeper! The greatest riches are always in the deepest parts of the cave. Yes, some rocks are falling, but that’s just the cave settling. Every moment we waste debating is a moment we’re not finding treasure. People have been predicting cave collapses forever and it never happens, there is no evidence that caves ever cave in. If we don’t die in this cave we’re just waiting for the asteroid to hit us”.
Those That Want to Back Off: “We need to back off NOW. The damage we’ve already done to the structure plus the natural instability means this cave could collapse at any time. We don’t have proper equipment, we don’t have expertise in cave stability, and we’re actively making it worse. Whatever riches might be down there aren’t worth our lives and we also don’t actually have a plan how to mine those riches. We should retreat while we still can.”
The Moderates: “Look, we all want to maximize the riches we find, and turning back now would waste all the progress we’ve made. We should put on helmets and maybe move gradually down the narrow shafts. We can continue deeper, but with some basic safety precautions. We will minimize and manage the risks. There’s still treasure to be found if we’re smart about it. But let’s not get distracted from the treasures by the cave doomers. Anyway, the cave is still collapsing if one of use continues chipping away and coordination is impossible.”
Perhaps let’s imagine there is a warning shot, such as a big rock falling down. Maybe this would be a good time to turn back, but the moderates are now finally able to convince the reckless to put on a helmet.
Radical Flank Effect and Reasonable Moderate Effect
The Radical Flank Effect
The radical flank effect is a well-documented phenomenon where radical activists make moderate positions appear more reasonable by shifting the boundaries of acceptable discourse (the Overton window). The idea is that if you want a sensible opinion to move into the Overton window, you can achieve this by supporting a radical flank position. In comparison, the sensible opinion will appear moderate. I think there is also an inverse effect.
The Reasonable Moderate Effect (Inverse Strategy)
When there are two positions in debate and someone wants to push one of them out of the Overton window, they can create a new moderate position that reframes one of the other positions to a radical flank. Thereby the sensible opinion gets moved further out of the Overton window.
The Cave Exploration
Imagine a group of 3 descending into a cave system, searching for riches and driven by curiosity about what lies in the depths.
After some time, stones begin falling from the ceiling. You hear ominous creaking and rumbling noises echoing through the tunnels. Some members of your group have been chipping away at the cave walls looking for minerals and looking to open new paths to go deeper into the cave. The cave is becoming more and more dangerous.
The Reckless: “We need to go deeper! The greatest riches are always in the deepest parts of the cave. Yes, some rocks are falling, but that’s just the cave settling. Every moment we waste debating is a moment we’re not finding treasure. People have been predicting cave collapses forever and it never happens, there is no evidence that caves ever cave in. If we don’t die in this cave we’re just waiting for the asteroid to hit us”.
Those That Want to Back Off: “We need to back off NOW. The damage we’ve already done to the structure plus the natural instability means this cave could collapse at any time. We don’t have proper equipment, we don’t have expertise in cave stability, and we’re actively making it worse. Whatever riches might be down there aren’t worth our lives and we also don’t actually have a plan how to mine those riches. We should retreat while we still can.”
The Moderates: “Look, we all want to maximize the riches we find, and turning back now would waste all the progress we’ve made. We should put on helmets and maybe move gradually down the narrow shafts. We can continue deeper, but with some basic safety precautions. We will minimize and manage the risks. There’s still treasure to be found if we’re smart about it. But let’s not get distracted from the treasures by the cave doomers. Anyway, the cave is still collapsing if one of use continues chipping away and coordination is impossible.”
Perhaps let’s imagine there is a warning shot, such as a big rock falling down. Maybe this would be a good time to turn back, but the moderates are now finally able to convince the reckless to put on a helmet.