What you quote of mine does have some of the connotations you ascribe to it, but it does also denote something, and it feels as if you haven’t engaged with that so it’s a little hard to reply to you. Do you disagree with what it denotes?
To share my personal belief history here, I’d say I’m questioning whether I agree with your statement, despite my prior conviction. Except for a few rationalist types, most people I’ve met don’t really seem to mind sophistry whatsoever; the sophist will seem more charismatic and more worth listening to. And when the sophist really does say an insightful but difficult-to-believe truth, they’re the ones with the spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down.
P.S. I’d be very interested hearing about someone applying Robin Hanson’s take on status and signaling to this.
What you quote of mine does have some of the connotations you ascribe to it, but it does also denote something, and it feels as if you haven’t engaged with that so it’s a little hard to reply to you. Do you disagree with what it denotes?
EDIT: tweaking is perfectly usual!
To share my personal belief history here, I’d say I’m questioning whether I agree with your statement, despite my prior conviction. Except for a few rationalist types, most people I’ve met don’t really seem to mind sophistry whatsoever; the sophist will seem more charismatic and more worth listening to. And when the sophist really does say an insightful but difficult-to-believe truth, they’re the ones with the spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down.
P.S. I’d be very interested hearing about someone applying Robin Hanson’s take on status and signaling to this.