Perhaps there is something of value to their point of view. Would you be more or less inclined to investigate this possibility, with the pretense that they are

Perhaps there is something of value to their point of view. Would you be more or less inclined to investigate this possibility, with the pretense that they are "mentally ill" in place? I posit that this "mentally ill" label is as heinous as casual racism, in that it serves to remove interest in the target.