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This has always been the case. Every interaction with every other human is just some sort of 'game' where you have to make things witty and interesting etc. You

by Kenji 9y ago

This has always been the case. Every interaction with every other human is just some sort of 'game' where you have to make things witty and interesting etc. You can't just pour out the bland truth. People will be alienated and bored. Like a waiter in a restaurant, you have to serve the dish nicely so that it appeals the other person. That doesn't mean you have to be dishonest, it just means that presentation matters a whole lot more than engineers and scientists want it to. In fact, presentation is absolutely crucial to success.

dgudkov 9y ago
It heavily depends on importance. If you're dying from thirst in a desert you won't care if someone is offering you water in a 'witty and interesting' way or not. The less something is important (or unique) the more entertainment you need to sell it.
- rdiddly 9y ago
  Now we're getting somewhere. Could it be extrapolated, then, that anything carrying that shiny veneer of salesmanship, is probably something you don't really need, a.k.a. bullshit? Certainly the mindset results in hanging onto more of your money, more often, and for longer.
  - dgudkov 9y ago
    Probably, to some extent. There is no way to sell Coca-Cola rather than by extreme level of salesmanship because nobody really needs it. At the same time you won't see any advertisement for tap water.
  - calvano915 9y ago
    Salesmanship does not always equal BS, and I'm not sure that the BS is inverse to importance. Rather, actualized importance and perception of importance are independent and the BS can be useful to magnify one and/or the other. Thus, selling an effective vaccine vs snake oil, both of which may/will not sell itself largely on facts alone.
- Kenji 9y ago
  >The less something is important (or unique) the more entertainment you need to sell it. Unfortunately, that includes you and me as individuals. Presentation matters for example is you wanna get a job or a relationship.

by Kenji 9y ago

dgudkov 9y ago

It heavily depends on importance. If you're dying from thirst in a desert you won't care if someone is offering you water in a 'witty and interesting' way or not. The less something is important (or unique) the more entertainment you need to sell it.

rdiddly 9y ago
Now we're getting somewhere. Could it be extrapolated, then, that anything carrying that shiny veneer of salesmanship, is probably something you don't really need, a.k.a. bullshit? Certainly the mindset results in hanging onto more of your money, more often, and for longer.
- dgudkov 9y ago
  Probably, to some extent. There is no way to sell Coca-Cola rather than by extreme level of salesmanship because nobody really needs it. At the same time you won't see any advertisement for tap water.
- calvano915 9y ago
  Salesmanship does not always equal BS, and I'm not sure that the BS is inverse to importance. Rather, actualized importance and perception of importance are independent and the BS can be useful to magnify one and/or the other. Thus, selling an effective vaccine vs snake oil, both of which may/will not sell itself largely on facts alone.
Kenji 9y ago
>The less something is important (or unique) the more entertainment you need to sell it. Unfortunately, that includes you and me as individuals. Presentation matters for example is you wanna get a job or a relationship.