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In order to detect bigotry you have to understand that it's fundamentally irrational. If you expect it to make sense, you'll miss it.
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It's not enough to listen literally to what people say. You have to pick up the feelings behind it.
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"Rationalist skeptics" are especially bad at noticing bigotry because they disdain emotional intelligence. They read language as logical propositions. They're blind to subtext, connotation, innuendo.
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This works with good-faith rational debate, but not with bigotry. "Reason" and "logic" are only reflections on the surface of bigotry. Rationalists look into the lake and think they're gazing at clouds.
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A corollary of this is you can't reason someone out of bigotry. Facts and arguments are not relevant. Any argument you come up with looks like "not an argument" to them, because their position—their emotional position—is not rooted in rationality to begin with.
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What if... rationalist skepticism were a cover for people who want to feel superior, whether it's shallow selfishness or white supremacy
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Marketplace of ideas = "No one should shout down objectively bad opinions from anyone... including me"
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I don't have as much experience with "rationalist skeptics" as you do, but I bet they'd pick up subtext real fast if someone hinted about ..
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.. non binary gender expression or climate change denialism. they seem to be pretty selective in their obtuseness
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They also presume their fetish for rationality comes out of a deeply rational place...which can only be evaluated on a case by case basis.
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If I align myself with seemingly smart super disdainful pricks a. I can avoid being outed as not that smart. b. perhaps be presumed smart
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I like to say humans are not good at BEING rational, but humans are very good at RATIONALIZING. We tend to confuse the later for the former.
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They don't all ID as "rational skeptics" but I've noticed loads of people I call "literalists" who can't detect any nuance.
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