this post was submitted on 09 Sep 2024
390 points (97.6% liked)
Memes
45152 readers
2668 users here now
Rules:
- Be civil and nice.
- Try not to excessively repost, as a rule of thumb, wait at least 2 months to do it if you have to.
founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Hanlon's Razor is my favorite rule for this very reason, because I’m way too quick to do this.
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
I'd argue Hanlon's razor is not a very good heuristic. It ultimately presupposes the user of it is the mental superior in the situation, and does not take into account polarized and ambiguous controversies. It also encourages energy wasting by presupposing the issue lies with mental capacity or education, suggesting that you could educate your opponent out of their stance.
I'd recommend moving towards more energy-conserving practices. Rather than arguing your points directly, it's better to first understand why the opposition would be taking their current stance and adjust your argument based on what common ground you both share.
Possibly the greatest skill is to just learn when it's no longer worth your time to argue with them.