One useful thing I’ve noticed helps a lot when discussing LW-style topics with non-rationalists (or rationalists who have not declared Crocker’s Rules) is to reiterate parts of their message that you agree with. It shows that you’re actually listening to what they’re saying, and not being confrontational for its own sake. As in:
Non-rationalist: “I believe X, and therefore Y and Z”
Instead of “Z doesn’t follow from X because …”
Respond with “I agree with X, and also Y. But Z doesn’t follow because...”
Even if, by using the first response, you’re implying that you agree with X (and maybe with Y because you didn’t say anything about it), people who are not explicitly correcting for it might see the first response as confrontational and the second as more friendly. In general, people seem to be more sensitive to how something is said rather than what is being said.
One useful thing I’ve noticed helps a lot when discussing LW-style topics with non-rationalists (or rationalists who have not declared Crocker’s Rules) is to reiterate parts of their message that you agree with. It shows that you’re actually listening to what they’re saying, and not being confrontational for its own sake. As in:
Non-rationalist: “I believe X, and therefore Y and Z”
Instead of “Z doesn’t follow from X because …” Respond with “I agree with X, and also Y. But Z doesn’t follow because...”
Even if, by using the first response, you’re implying that you agree with X (and maybe with Y because you didn’t say anything about it), people who are not explicitly correcting for it might see the first response as confrontational and the second as more friendly. In general, people seem to be more sensitive to how something is said rather than what is being said.