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Agree about EconTalk, though not as big a Mike Munger fan. (I am partial to Richard Epstein as a guest.) I cannot speak more highly of the host. Among podcas
by JackFr 10y ago
Agree about EconTalk, though not as big a Mike Munger fan. (I am partial to Richard Epstein as a guest.)
I cannot speak more highly of the host. Among podcasts about ideas, Russ Roberts is absolutely remarkable and unique in his willingness and ability to give a good-faith, sympathetic venue for ideas with which he disagrees. While he is willing to push back against ideas he doesn't agree with, he is always pleasant and always reminds the listener (and himself) that he is also subject to confirmation bias.
And while the focus is economics and public policy, he will interview nearly anyone with something to talk about. I can't begin to list the things I've learned about bees, the potato chip and snack food industry, prison gangs, etc. Well worth anyone's time.
- tptacek 10y agoYes! It seems to turn out that for any random subject X you can ever imagine wondering about, there is someone whose academic career is "X economist", and they all seem to wind up interviewed on this show.
- icebraining 10y agoalways reminds the listener (and himself) that he is also subject to confirmation bias. I really like Econtalk and I don't really have any reason to doubt his sincerity, but I've realized that to people like me who dislike pundits, that kind of self-processed humility could be a really dangerous manipulation technique :)
- JackFr 10y ago> that kind of self-processed humility could be a really dangerous manipulation technique :) I just don't see that. "I believe these things are true, but I acknowledge that I am, like everyone else, subject to unconscious biases." "Well, that's exactly what a hyper-manipulative sociopath would say"
- icebraining 10y agoLike I said, I don't think Russ Roberts is being manipulative, let alone an "hyper-manipulative sociopath". All I'm saying is that I find myself accepting his position more easily due to it being colored by my sympathy for his humility.
- travmatt 10y agoIntellectual honesty and humility is a good heuristic to look for if one is blindly assessing arguments. Even though there's a chance he could be dead wrong on a given topic, the fact that a person with those traits has arrived at a conclusion tends to suggest there's an honest case to be made for it. In other words, you could do worse than finding honest people and listening to them.
- Avshalom 10y agoWell it's one of those things... http://mediarelations.cornell.edu/2016/06/21/in-doctors-we-trust-especially-when-they-admit-to-bias/ http://mediarelations.cornell.edu/2016/06/21/in-doctors-we-t... Disclosing bias makes you sound "more trustworthy" or something so people discount the bias.
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- oh_sigh 10y agoIt doesn't even need to be manipulation. Even those who recognize their biases are still biased, and many times in ways that they don't recognize
- humanrebar 10y agoRoberts' willingness to provide airtime, even if by proxy, for opposing viewpoints is exemplary. It's rare to see the strong, compelling cases for various viewpoints presented in the same program, even when considering otherwise intelligent programming like we see on NPR and various opinionated podcasts. It really strengthens all arguments since more of the discussion is reason-based. When programming ignores the good arguments from other perspectives, the programming is not much better than sophistry, in my opinion.