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0 pointshumanrebar8y ago0 comments

In a civilized discussion, this happens:

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Alice: I think A, B, and C.

Bob: Did you say you think A, B, C, and D?

Alice: No, I said A, B, and C, but now that I think of it, I misspoke about the C part. I think A, B, and C(2). I don't know where you got D. I don't think that.

Bob: OK. C(2) makes more sense, and let's forget about D. Here's why you're wrong about B.

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Here's what seems to happen a lot these days.

Alice: I think A, B, and C.

Bob: I hate your thoughts. We're done here. If I were your boss, you'd be fired.

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People would be a lot less angry and a lot smarter if they actually dialogued more.

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3 comments · 1 top-level

gnaritas8y ago· 2 in thread

Most people don't want to dialogue more with people who don't share their values, they'd much rather find people who do share their values. We are tribal animals, the current dissent in this country is a symptom of our tribalism not scaling up to 300 million people. There are tribes in this nation who are not going to get along, ever; the country is too big. Diversity doesn't scale.

humanrebarOP8y ago

> Diversity doesn't scale.

Well, federalism as it was originally designed was an attempt at that. I don't know if that experiment failed as much as it was abandoned.

It may be time to revisit our interest in it.

We can likewise consider ways to provide free association (vote-with-your-feet options) and compartmentalization (keep bad ideas out of here by giving them room to be at peace over there) in the other organizations we have influence over.

gnaritas8y ago

> It may be time to revisit our interest in it.

It is.

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