I don’t think being irritating in general is enough. I think it’s specifically the feeling that everyone who has disagreed with you has been wrong about their disagreement that creates a very powerful sense of feeling like you must be onto something.
Really!? Okay, I’ll have to really present the argument when I write that post.
I do agree with your logic for why opponents misunderstanding the argument would make people sure they’re right, by general association. It’s a separate factor from the irritation, so I think I mis-statedit as a subset (although part of it seems to be; it’s irritating to have people repeatedly mis-characterize your position).
It seems pretty apparent to me when I watch people have discussions/arguments that their irritation/anger makes them dig in on their position. It seems to follow from evolutionary psychology: if you make me angry, my brain reacts like we’re in a fight. I now want to win that fight, so I need to prove you wrong. Believing any of your arguments or understating mine would lead to losing the fight I feel I’m in.
This isn’t usually how motivated reasoning is discussed, so I guess it does really take some careful explanation. It seems intuitive and obvious to me after holding this theory for years, but that could be my own motivated reasoning...
I don’t think being irritating in general is enough. I think it’s specifically the feeling that everyone who has disagreed with you has been wrong about their disagreement that creates a very powerful sense of feeling like you must be onto something.
Really!? Okay, I’ll have to really present the argument when I write that post.
I do agree with your logic for why opponents misunderstanding the argument would make people sure they’re right, by general association. It’s a separate factor from the irritation, so I think I mis-statedit as a subset (although part of it seems to be; it’s irritating to have people repeatedly mis-characterize your position).
It seems pretty apparent to me when I watch people have discussions/arguments that their irritation/anger makes them dig in on their position. It seems to follow from evolutionary psychology: if you make me angry, my brain reacts like we’re in a fight. I now want to win that fight, so I need to prove you wrong. Believing any of your arguments or understating mine would lead to losing the fight I feel I’m in.
This isn’t usually how motivated reasoning is discussed, so I guess it does really take some careful explanation. It seems intuitive and obvious to me after holding this theory for years, but that could be my own motivated reasoning...