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Since empathy and, often, consequences, are more or less opt-in on the web, you do see a lot of people choosing to forego good behaviour. Or, to paraphrase

@iwelsh

: the risk of getting punched in the face keeps a lot of bullshit at bay.

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Yes, that is what I meant by Twitter #skininthegame

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Well, still, people definitely entertain fewer constraints even with their mugshot and full name in tow, or even a bluecheck. Can you imagine Nassim Taleb screaming "IMBECILE!" at random pedestrians?

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Honestly, I wouldn't put anything past Nassim Taleb ;)

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I would. Reports are consistently in favor of him being mild-mannered in person. Unless you're an economist or Steven Pinker. I think the tough guy persona is half branding, half wish fulfillment. I'm also a lot less abrasive in person, unless you get me *really* pissed off.

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Right. But that is why Twitter disconnected from reality can be dangerous. Because abrasion feeds abrasion among fragile egos.

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Yeah, that's why I mentioned having to hold back. I have a very specific strategy where I try to minimize my reactivity to likes & retweets, and maximize for direct replies. This builds a useful form of skin in the game: I have people here whose opinions I value, and I engage.

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Yeah, I absolutely think there is a within-Twitter scale of #skininthegame (among avatars) that is very tangible

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Certainly. In fact, I chose my level of personal presence *very* deliberately, for a number of reasons. It's always fascinating to see where people prefer to draw their own line. Your first tweet seemed a bit judgey, if I'm honest, but this was a good talk. Glad for it.

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Yeah, it was meant to be judgey. Sometimes dialogue and synthesis requires tension...

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Ah, I see your methods are refined... Pissing off my (far smarter, but a bit more gullible) followers is how I bank a lot of benefit from this site. Once I realized people are much more likely to reply if they thing I'm being stupid, I stopped worrying about seeming stupid.

4:40 PM · Sep 10, 2018Twitter Web Client

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Exactly, put out a partial truth, let people respond, and then tell them they are also right and revel in a mutual love fest :)

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Friend-making 101

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That's also one reason why I argue for asymmetrical levels of skin the game. While losing the wrong follower can sting, it's nothing like losing a close friend. This helps me push the boundaries for my persona, to see what holds up under pressure.

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Right, Twitter is another playing field for identity exploration, with different rules. A spiritual practice if you understand it as such.