You could think of discussions with certain people as fun rather than an exchange of ideas. If you’re in a discussion in which you feel neither side is likely to learn from the other, then just optimise for fun—fun for both parties, that is. Change topics rapidly, make light of statements that in other situations you would analyse, guide the discussions towards fun topics rather than informative ones.
If you’re talking to someone with unbearably absurd beliefs and all else fails, then just have fun seeing how far you can go making unreasonably extreme random statements. Don’t be rude, though :)
Most talk is not done as discussion, changing ideas, but status play and dumping of caches.
My M/O is to listen more, talk less. Ask questions. Trying to understand what the other person beliefs and why. Which is really really really hard for me to do. But could be interesting.
Other things I occasionally did: Model the argumentative strategy of the person, and use the same strategy on a different topic. Try to claim to have weirder beliefs then them. Change topics from things that I do not want to talk about to those I do. Including but not limited to life experiences.
Some of them do not really work. I now perceive many discussions as stupid cardboard mash-up of cached ideas, where nothing really ever changes. But it helps to ignore this sentiment in many cases.
One thing that did work great in many formal discussions about social topics was to throw in a question about the definition of the actual topic being discussed. That usually elicits a heated argument of everyone involved but me without anyone realizing they do not actually talk about the same thing, or even caring to resolve that.
Usually that gives you half an hour of free time. In one case a discussion round about ‘democracy’ was spent it this stage without ever reaching something like a conclusion on what to actually talk about.
References to Arguing about Definitions, and a certain story in Feynmans book.
Trying to have fun is a great advice. But also try out many different ways.
You could think of discussions with certain people as fun rather than an exchange of ideas. If you’re in a discussion in which you feel neither side is likely to learn from the other, then just optimise for fun—fun for both parties, that is. Change topics rapidly, make light of statements that in other situations you would analyse, guide the discussions towards fun topics rather than informative ones.
If you’re talking to someone with unbearably absurd beliefs and all else fails, then just have fun seeing how far you can go making unreasonably extreme random statements. Don’t be rude, though :)
Most talk is not done as discussion, changing ideas, but status play and dumping of caches.
My M/O is to listen more, talk less. Ask questions. Trying to understand what the other person beliefs and why. Which is really really really hard for me to do. But could be interesting.
Other things I occasionally did: Model the argumentative strategy of the person, and use the same strategy on a different topic. Try to claim to have weirder beliefs then them. Change topics from things that I do not want to talk about to those I do. Including but not limited to life experiences.
Some of them do not really work. I now perceive many discussions as stupid cardboard mash-up of cached ideas, where nothing really ever changes. But it helps to ignore this sentiment in many cases.
One thing that did work great in many formal discussions about social topics was to throw in a question about the definition of the actual topic being discussed. That usually elicits a heated argument of everyone involved but me without anyone realizing they do not actually talk about the same thing, or even caring to resolve that. Usually that gives you half an hour of free time. In one case a discussion round about ‘democracy’ was spent it this stage without ever reaching something like a conclusion on what to actually talk about.
References to Arguing about Definitions, and a certain story in Feynmans book.
Trying to have fun is a great advice. But also try out many different ways.
Yes, also for gossip and homour
Yes. So much beautiful time wasted.