But such people usually don’t conclude that the magical thinking itself isn’t working. They just want help finding a specific magical argument that will end up with their getting what they want.
I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone who was actually against rationality altogether. Most people just want a solution that works, and if the one they wind up using is rational, they don’t have a problem with that. And if you can teach them some rationalist skills while you’re giving them that solution, all the better. It takes time to bootstrap people that way, but it’s far from being impossible.
But such people usually don’t conclude that the magical thinking itself isn’t working. They just want help finding a specific magical argument that will end up with their getting what they want.
I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone who was actually against rationality altogether. Most people just want a solution that works, and if the one they wind up using is rational, they don’t have a problem with that. And if you can teach them some rationalist skills while you’re giving them that solution, all the better. It takes time to bootstrap people that way, but it’s far from being impossible.