This is a good point, but I do think that there could be benefits. Haven’t people mentioned how religion does have some positive benefits, many of which come from the sense of community? I think if we’re careful we can get those benefits without costs that are too high.
I didn’t mean to suggest there’s anything wrong with identifying as part of an online community. I just don’t don’t think we should identify commitment to rationality with outward displays of membership in any given community. It seems to me like committing to rationality is the sort of thing you do while reading a book, not the sort of thing you do while walking around in a mall.
Even so, though, in my opinion people should in general be careful about trying to turn this place into too much of a subculture. There are a lot of people it would alienate to varying degrees, myself included.
I vote we try figure out how to (mostly) avoid the bad complications and do it anyway.
Hell, if we could do this & still get even half the good effects of tribal identification I’d sign up for the robes tomorrow and throw in a Ravenclaw scarf for good measure.
You probably don’t want to get rationality mixed up in tribal identification, which is the ostensive purpose of such a symbol.
It has positive effects too. We could try to figure out how to (mostly) avoid the bad complications and do it anyway.
Hell, if we could do this & still get even half the good effects I’d sign up for the robes tomorrow and throw in a Ravenclaw scarf for good measure.
This is a good point, but I do think that there could be benefits. Haven’t people mentioned how religion does have some positive benefits, many of which come from the sense of community? I think if we’re careful we can get those benefits without costs that are too high.
I didn’t mean to suggest there’s anything wrong with identifying as part of an online community. I just don’t don’t think we should identify commitment to rationality with outward displays of membership in any given community. It seems to me like committing to rationality is the sort of thing you do while reading a book, not the sort of thing you do while walking around in a mall.
Even so, though, in my opinion people should in general be careful about trying to turn this place into too much of a subculture. There are a lot of people it would alienate to varying degrees, myself included.
I vote we try figure out how to (mostly) avoid the bad complications and do it anyway.
Hell, if we could do this & still get even half the good effects of tribal identification I’d sign up for the robes tomorrow and throw in a Ravenclaw scarf for good measure.