Sometimes I realize mid-assertion that the thing I’m saying isn’t really to be trusted as much as my listener will be likely to trust it without further details. I usually compensate by making a weak joke: ”...and I know that’s true because I read it on the Internet, and as we all know, decent web design signals infallibility!”, or “So I am told by my friend X, and gosh, she’s always been a Libertarian, so I have no reason at all to be suspicious of her statistical claims about gun violence.”
Ironically, I have the sense that this generally works to lessen the other person’s skepticism. (The mechanism is obvious- it takes the disagreement out of the class of status battles, thus enabling actual consideration of the point.)
I really like this method! It certainly seems to be far more useful than my current “wait, I just realized that I don’t know as much about this subject as I think I do, and therefore I need to stop talking”, which really really hurts the flow of conversation. Thanks!
Sometimes I realize mid-assertion that the thing I’m saying isn’t really to be trusted as much as my listener will be likely to trust it without further details. I usually compensate by making a weak joke: ”...and I know that’s true because I read it on the Internet, and as we all know, decent web design signals infallibility!”, or “So I am told by my friend X, and gosh, she’s always been a Libertarian, so I have no reason at all to be suspicious of her statistical claims about gun violence.”
Ironically, I have the sense that this generally works to lessen the other person’s skepticism. (The mechanism is obvious- it takes the disagreement out of the class of status battles, thus enabling actual consideration of the point.)
I really like this method! It certainly seems to be far more useful than my current “wait, I just realized that I don’t know as much about this subject as I think I do, and therefore I need to stop talking”, which really really hurts the flow of conversation. Thanks!