Currently I'm trying to think of a way to get my father to read this without overtly telling him he needs to read this. Because that would be being a crank.
Sell it like it's going to help him get his important messages across more effectively.
How not to be a crank: rules for not being a science-dick
11–20 of 103 posts
Re: How not to be a crank: rules for not being a science-dick
#12All of these are extremely important! Two life skills: * If you are without a doubt, you are wrong If you can't fathom the other side and where they're coming from, you, are in fact, biased beyond listening to facts, and are likely wrong. * Words matter As my grandma said, "If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all."
how strongly do you believe that first principle?
To be truly without doubt is to not believe that any new information could possibly change your mind.
Re: How not to be a crank: rules for not being a science-dick
#13All of these are extremely important! Two life skills: * If you are without a doubt, you are wrong If you can't fathom the other side and where they're coming from, you, are in fact, biased beyond listening to facts, and are likely wrong. * Words matter As my grandma said, "If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all."
> If you can't fathom the other side and where they're coming from, you, are in fact, biased beyond listening to facts, and are likely wrong.
This one especially applies to politics. If you are one of those looking for "sanity", or "common sense", and can't imagine how the other side can possibly hold some position, then this applies to you.
Re: How not to be a crank: rules for not being a science-dick
#14Earlier quoted context omitted.
how strongly do you believe that first principle?
My viewpoint on number one is simple: I'm always wrong Easier to move forward with that default assumption and try to prove I'm not as wrong as I thought and that "right" is the wrong attitude to hold.
Generally, every model is wrong about something. That the core difference between models and the things we model. Every description is an approximation of some sort.
However, some things are tautological. Some things may be necessary in reality, even if they are not in any model. (I wake up each morning because I have no alternative, not because it is the 'right thing to do'.) Some things are very safe to assume because our human cultural context or our biological environment is stable over multiple generations of activity. And some things are true simply because assuming otherwise contradicts the assumptions needed for language to work effectively. And sometimes we do prove things, even if we lack any meaningful ability to prove what we'd like to the degree that we'd like.
The point is, we're not always wrong in a linguistic sense. Any time you have a statement that is perfectly symmetrical and valid in every context, you do not have language which can be used to make decisions. It's only meaningful to be wrong if there are things you can be right about.
Re: How not to be a crank: rules for not being a science-dick
#15All of these are extremely important! Two life skills: * If you are without a doubt, you are wrong If you can't fathom the other side and where they're coming from, you, are in fact, biased beyond listening to facts, and are likely wrong. * Words matter As my grandma said, "If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all."
I am without a doubt that white nationalists and Nazis are wrong.
Am I supposed to question myself here? Supposed to assume I'm wrong? Your line of thinking is very dangerous and not safe, it enables very bad people by making good people assume they are terrible people themselves.
Re: How not to be a crank: rules for not being a science-dick
#16All of these are extremely important! Two life skills: * If you are without a doubt, you are wrong If you can't fathom the other side and where they're coming from, you, are in fact, biased beyond listening to facts, and are likely wrong. * Words matter As my grandma said, "If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all."
I am without a doubt that white nationalists and Nazis are wrong. Am I supposed to question myself here? Supposed to assume I'm wrong? Your line of thinking is very dangerous and not safe, it enables very bad people by making good people assume they are terrible people themselves.
> White nationalists are wrong
White nationalists present some interesting problems, problems that are real and valid. Their lens is wrong (this problem exists, therefore I will interpret the problem in a way that I am superior and others are inferior).
Your doubt should come from that understanding.
Re: How not to be a crank: rules for not being a science-dick
#17Currently I'm trying to think of a way to get my father to read this without overtly telling him he needs to read this. Because that would be being a crank.
Think deeply about your father. Reflect on times when he's been funniest, had the most fun, and why you admire him. From this perspective think about how you would want to talk about this article. Maybe ask about his opinion on some of the details in the middle.
In other words rather than figuring out a strategy to get him to read it that is adversarial but somehow slips under his defenses, figure out how to get yourself in the right frame of mind to introduce ideas on how to be more effective to someone you think is important. Presumably your father is enough like you that he will be able to tell when you are treating him like someone who needs to be emotionally managed, as opposed to when you are having a two-way conversation.
Maybe one marker of managing someone is when the speaker is not focusing on themselves at all. When you talk to a friend you like you are likely concerned about how you are portraying yourself as well as whether or not you are getting your way.
Re: How not to be a crank: rules for not being a science-dick
#18All of these are extremely important! Two life skills: * If you are without a doubt, you are wrong If you can't fathom the other side and where they're coming from, you, are in fact, biased beyond listening to facts, and are likely wrong. * Words matter As my grandma said, "If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all."
> If you can't fathom the other side and where they're coming from, you, are in fact, biased beyond listening to facts, and are likely wrong. This one especially applies to politics. If you are one of those looking for "sanity", or "common sense", and can't imagine how the other side can possibly hold some position, then this applies to you.
I’m not sure that’s accurate. People hold all manner of irrational political beliefs and there is value in recognizing that irrationality.
Re: How not to be a crank: rules for not being a science-dick
#19All of these are extremely important! Two life skills: * If you are without a doubt, you are wrong If you can't fathom the other side and where they're coming from, you, are in fact, biased beyond listening to facts, and are likely wrong. * Words matter As my grandma said, "If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all."
> If you can't fathom the other side and where they're coming from, you, are in fact, biased beyond listening to facts, and are likely wrong. This one especially applies to politics. If you are one of those looking for "sanity", or "common sense", and can't imagine how the other side can possibly hold some position, then this applies to you.
I agree. The best assumption that we can have about another human being is that they are rational. Most people are rational. Most people have reasons for their actions. Even addicts, even child molesters, even feminists. The point is to understand their reasons. If you disagree, that doesn't mean the other side is irrational. They could be wrong but they still have reasons. From that place of understanding, you can not only find empathy, but structure arguments in a way that is constructive based on that empathy and understanding.
Re: How not to be a crank: rules for not being a science-dick
#20This is great advice for information security professionals as well, especially vulnerability researchers and other appsec types!