Yes, there is definitely an age limit to where this has less effect, but I think it works a little bit even on adults. Then you’re getting Dark Artsy.
The big point is that you can’t get them to like something they already dislike, or vice versa. But you can get them from neutral to like/dislike.
For example, if she LOVES Wonderpets, then saying that she doesn’t like Wonderpets is completely false, and ignored. But if she thinks Dora is decent, THEN saying that she loves Dora (maybe getting her some Dora games, if you REALLY want her to have that belief) is much more effective.
It depends substantially on what we mean by “dark arts.” Generally, I think of dark arts as persuasion techniques that are effective at changing someone’s mind without relying on that person’s rationality. The important lesson is that deliberately circumventing the rational process of another is wrong.
But children (especially young children) just aren’t rational by adult standards. So, is it a kind of dark art to take advantage of some irrational thinking process for the purpose of improving little Johnny’s future rationality? It’s deliberately avoiding the (mostly non-existent) rational process of the child. But it doesn’t seem wrong.
That said, the example about changing aesthetic preferences is hard to justify on “improving future rationality” grounds. Which doesn’t necessarily make it wrong, but it certainly is a closer question.
Yes, there is definitely an age limit to where this has less effect, but I think it works a little bit even on adults. Then you’re getting Dark Artsy.
The big point is that you can’t get them to like something they already dislike, or vice versa. But you can get them from neutral to like/dislike.
For example, if she LOVES Wonderpets, then saying that she doesn’t like Wonderpets is completely false, and ignored. But if she thinks Dora is decent, THEN saying that she loves Dora (maybe getting her some Dora games, if you REALLY want her to have that belief) is much more effective.
Something in here seems backwards!
Why is it dark arts only if you do it to adults? I’d say if anything, it’s even darker if you do it to children
It depends substantially on what we mean by “dark arts.” Generally, I think of dark arts as persuasion techniques that are effective at changing someone’s mind without relying on that person’s rationality. The important lesson is that deliberately circumventing the rational process of another is wrong.
But children (especially young children) just aren’t rational by adult standards. So, is it a kind of dark art to take advantage of some irrational thinking process for the purpose of improving little Johnny’s future rationality? It’s deliberately avoiding the (mostly non-existent) rational process of the child. But it doesn’t seem wrong.
That said, the example about changing aesthetic preferences is hard to justify on “improving future rationality” grounds. Which doesn’t necessarily make it wrong, but it certainly is a closer question.