Thread by @s_r_constantin

@TheZvi @jessi_cata @ben_r_hoffman @EpistemicHope @HiFromMichaelV @zackmdavis Here’s the actual mechanism I think:

Cradle liberals like Scott get exposed, as adolescents or young adults, to social conservatives (often Christian) who are better prepared than they are to argue their case.

@TheZvi @jessi_cata @ben_r_hoffman @EpistemicHope @HiFromMichaelV @zackmdavis Cradle liberals like Scott are upset/hurt at the “meanness” of such views, but also are honest enough to acknowledge that sometimes upsetting things are true.

@TheZvi @jessi_cata @ben_r_hoffman @EpistemicHope @HiFromMichaelV @zackmdavis Scotts are not confident they can distinguish between sound-but-unpleasant arguments and mere bullying. They are too upset by both to think clearly. And they know this.

@TheZvi @jessi_cata @ben_r_hoffman @EpistemicHope @HiFromMichaelV @zackmdavis So they want to take steps to limit the ability of people to hurt their feelings, WITHOUT relying on claims that the social conservatives are objectively wrong.

@TheZvi @jessi_cata @ben_r_hoffman @EpistemicHope @HiFromMichaelV @zackmdavis You can do this by saying “my house, my rules, no personal sexuality-shaming on my blog”, but Scott in particular is too insecure to do this, he has to confabulate a justification that sounds “fair.”

@TheZvi @jessi_cata @ben_r_hoffman @EpistemicHope @HiFromMichaelV @zackmdavis Since he’s already written the bottom line, he’s not careful about what his confabulated argument implies and it’s awful. But most readers don’t notice.

@TheZvi @jessi_cata @ben_r_hoffman @EpistemicHope @HiFromMichaelV @zackmdavis I just read that post as a hamster spinning its wheel trying to work up the nerve to ban the personal insults. I’ve made posts that are similarly “motivated.” I try not to do it now because it’s really embarrassing to get called out on it (which has happened!)

@TheZvi @jessi_cata @ben_r_hoffman @EpistemicHope @HiFromMichaelV @zackmdavis This is one reason why I talk explicitly about feelings, btw. I think it’s really bad to spin up a confabulated, pseudo-“logical” argument as a way of expressing a feeling or preference. It’s a bad habit that too many nerds have and we should try to break it.