Jeff Swann @Jeff Swann - 5mo
In my discussion with normies lately I have been trying to get to the real root of our differences. One of the major things that comes up over & over is just how much most people rely on status, or official titles, & other forms of social proof for what is true. It's literally one of the worst heuristics & yet it seems to he the most popular. How do we break people out of their herd mentality?
jimbocoin 🃏 @jimbocoin - 5mo
It may be entirely temperamental, and not something that can be changed by reasoning. Take a look at Jonathan Haidt’s work on Moral Foundations. He identifies about 6 foundational moral values that people exhibit in different amounts. While everyone’s exact weightings differ, there are identifiable clusters for conservatives, progressives and libertarians. What you’re probably seeing, IMO, is that you’re talking to conservatives who place higher weight on the Authority/Subversion moral foundation than you do. Not everyone has the capacity or inclination to reason from first principles. The world is too complex. So instead, people use heuristics, and the Authority and Social Proof heuristics work for many people much of the time. See also Cialdini’s book, Influence, for a discussion of the Social Proof heuristic in persuasion.
Maybe, but I lean more toward thinking that only works with a small % Non-violent communication is an exceptionally good book & I think the approaches there are likely more effective. Being hostile actually gives the more emotional people the evidence they need to classify you as simply evil & uninterested in being kind & making the world a better place.
Solid point
You're not wrong. But I am thinking that there is a range of what constitutes "receptivity" & if we can find key weak points in a person's mental framework then we can craft messages that reach a greater number.
It's really not gay or effeminate at all. It feels a bit like some sort of coversational jujutsu where you kind of use your opponent's energy against them by identifying & repeating back the real driving or underlying issue. I mean, nothing is magic, but I think it lines up pretty well with the advice in Never Split The Difference too & that book has also helped me quite a bit.
₿atarøøt 💎🖖 @₿atarøøt 💎🖖 - 5mo
What you say is so true, it's like a constant fight against their own insecurities and lack of life meaning, pushing them to the all-knowing authority or credentialized bureaucrats. When drifting outside of banal conversations with normies, I usually stick to passing nuggets of personal responsibility and critical thinking examples. What seems to wake them up is: - I personally don't care if I change their point of view - It's coming from someone who has "his shit together," in a loving relationship, with well-behaved smart kids and a meaningful job
Meh, you may not be totally wrong, but I think there is a lot of grey area between each end of that spectrum. There have been times in human history where 90+% of people were self employed. There have been societies of free people where many had to be killed & the rest had to be systematically demoralized in order to successfully subjugate them. I think it is possible to cultivate a culture of personal responsibility.
