19 Comments
User's avatar
๐“™๐“ช๐“ผ๐“ถ๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“ฎ ๐“ฆ๐“ธ๐“ต๐“ฏ๐“ฎ's avatar

You cannot reason someone out of a position they didn't reason themselves into.

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Mike Hampton's avatar

...unless you create them a life-changing experience.

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Prosopon's avatar

I am afraid to like your post. Arenโ€™t you just saying what I was already thinking, but better than I could, which make me feel smart in the process, and then I can imagine myself using your arguments even though I have not deep knowledge of the question?

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S Peter Davis's avatar

Damn, hoisted by my own petard!

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Mike Hampton's avatar

Space for a two-person hanging if using underpants (a.k.a. briefs).

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ItcheBrain's avatar

I nearly clicked on that video, then I realized I don't actually have to suffer through Destiny, so I didn't. I'm guessing you likely want to yell "you are such a fantastic moron. . . " like Norm Finkelstein yelled at him. This is more his pace of guest.

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S Peter Davis's avatar

I never actually knew anything about the guy before this except that he has some kind of weird friendship with Nick Fuentes, which is already disturbing enough for me to write him off. Now I think he serves more or less the same role for liberals as Joe Rogan serves for the right.

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ItcheBrain's avatar

I think his role(and I think it's an actual ROLE) is actually to pull liberals to the right. That's what I see at a quick glance. That was a bad hire.... LOL

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ItcheBrain's avatar

I had never heard of him either, until he foolishly debated Norm Finkelstein. Someone else was highly suspicious of how fast he popped out of nowhere, I hadn't heard the Nick Fuentes thing, but after watching him try to defend Israel, I'm not shocked. If you dislike him, you can watch Norm berate the fuck out of him, it's entertaining(find the highlights tho it's a 5 hr debate).

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Christopher Gosz's avatar

I like this- it reminds me of a couple of critical distinctions: skeptics (people who need evidence in order to believe things) vs contrarians (people who attack โ€œconventional wisdomโ€ with little concern for objective truth); and also deliberate centrists (โ€œnobody knows for sureโ€) vs accidental moderates (I dislike fringe cranks no matter which side they occupy). Also this: https://youtu.be/z-EfEaFWh3w?si=Vj8V3xxYbgr-_rZT

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Cabot O'Callaghan's avatar

We are good at figuring things out but we are terrible at knowing what the results will be over time. And then we built the Internet. WHEE

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AM K's avatar

โ€œThe point is, our deference to charismatic ideological โ€œfixersโ€ like Peterson to reassure ourselves that we arenโ€™t actually any less knowledgeable than experts in their fields of expertise is a matter of ego.โ€

We now have more experts at doubting experts than we do actual experts. And they wonโ€™t shut up about it. Because itโ€™s an industry now. Like you said: smart-sounding people who, rather than explain complicated actual truths, can EMPATHIZE with the huge swaths of people who canโ€™t follow more than one if-then statement. Itโ€™s comforting, empowering and immediately creates a bonded in-group. Thatโ€™s why itโ€™s so portable to any other (even moderately) complex truths. Anything with more than one or two if-then statements (and anything involving nuance) is easily rejected and replaced with daisy-chained might-be-truths. These, unsurprisingly, are proof of nothing but what they already desire to be truth. Itโ€™s the same impulse behind any old-fashioned witch hunt, only now algorithmic reach and the feudalized internet make it very profitable, infectious, and, sadly, *enjoyable*. The mental rewards are *real* to the ones consuming it.

Itโ€™s like shopping at Kohlโ€™s. The truth is you just blew $200, but theyโ€™ve made you feel like a boss about it because you feel like YOU gamed the system. YOU earned Kohlโ€™s Cash. YOU used a 40% off coupon. YOU thought your way to using an additional 20% email offer. Screw all those other suckers shopping at Targetโ€”YOU have the superior approach! Excuse meโ€ฆjust got an email notificationโ€ฆOH MY GOD 60% OFF (tomorrow only).

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DT Griffith's avatar

Great take on this topic. And Parginโ€™s shit stirring videos are awesome! Heโ€™s the reason I found you on here and Iโ€™m grateful.

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KB's avatar

Midway through your first paragraph on Peterson, you start talking about โ€œheโ€ right after mentioning Destiny the pewdiepie, and for most of the rest of the article it looks like youโ€™re still talking about Destiny. I had to jump back several paragraphs to figure out what Iโ€™d missed.

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S Peter Davis's avatar

You're right, thank you - I've corrected it

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KB's avatar

(Itโ€™s a great article by the way. If I didnโ€™t like it I would never have bothered to complain!)

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S Peter Davis's avatar

Thanks!

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Mike Hampton's avatar

I liked Jordan but his swing to distastefulness non-coincidentally happened with his swing to religion.

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Apr 5, 2024
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Mike Hampton's avatar

Why I dread the day I say that substack is social media.

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