5 ms·

Reading the "Bad Faith" section of the wikipedia entry was especially interesting when you compare the profile of your average alt-right person with the mindset

by mfoy_ 9y ago

Reading the "Bad Faith" section of the wikipedia entry was especially interesting when you compare the profile of your average alt-right person with the mindset Sartre is describing.

grzm 9y ago
It's tough. I'd encourage you to take a step back and reflect on arguments used from many positions. Currently a lot of discourse is breaking down and polarization increasing because of a lack of reflection and understanding one's own biases and the arguments one's making and where they're coming from. No one has a monopoly on bad faith (unless you're considering humanity as a whole). I've found Jonathan Haidt's The Righteous Mind[0] to be really insightful and useful in this regard, particularly if one has a goal of effecting meaningful change. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Righteous_Mind https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Righteous_Mind Edit: Re-reading this, it's coming off harsher than intended. I likely need to eat something. Apologies.
- mfoy_ 9y ago
  I'm not saying anyone has a monopoly on bad faith. Your rebuke isn't overly harsh. If your criticisms were more pointed I may have a more directed response... but I'm not sure exactly what you have in mind when you say "discourse is breaking down", etc. (EDIT: I'm perfectly aware I'm generalizing and speaking of stereotypes when I say "average alt-right person", but Sartre wasn't exactly describing separate individuals either...)
  - grzm 9y ago
    Are those generalizations useful and constructive, particularly in this case? I'd argue strongly no. In fact, I'd argue they're actively counter-productive. One of the self-described reasons for the feeling of alienation that many have expressed is exactly this type of generalization. If you have a goal of working against, this, it seems that you're actually reinforcing it when you do so.
    - mfoy_ 9y ago
      I think if those generalizations let us draw a useful parallel to a historical example, we can note the similarities (and differences) and apply lessons learned from that era to our own. (Not that Sartre included a chapter called "How to Have Avoided The Whole Affair" in his book...)
      - deleted 9y ago
        [deleted]

by mfoy_ 9y ago

Reading the "Bad Faith" section of the wikipedia entry was especially interesting when you compare the profile of your average alt-right person with the mindset Sartre is describing.

grzm 9y ago

It's tough. I'd encourage you to take a step back and reflect on arguments used from many positions. Currently a lot of discourse is breaking down and polarization increasing because of a lack of reflection and understanding one's own biases and the arguments one's making and where they're coming from. No one has a monopoly on bad faith (unless you're considering humanity as a whole). I've found Jonathan Haidt's The Righteous Mind[0] to be really insightful and useful in this regard, particularly if one has a goal of effecting meaningful change. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Righteous_Mind https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Righteous_Mind Edit: Re-reading this, it's coming off harsher than intended. I likely need to eat something. Apologies.

mfoy_ 9y ago
I'm not saying anyone has a monopoly on bad faith. Your rebuke isn't overly harsh. If your criticisms were more pointed I may have a more directed response... but I'm not sure exactly what you have in mind when you say "discourse is breaking down", etc. (EDIT: I'm perfectly aware I'm generalizing and speaking of stereotypes when I say "average alt-right person", but Sartre wasn't exactly describing separate individuals either...)
- grzm 9y ago
  Are those generalizations useful and constructive, particularly in this case? I'd argue strongly no. In fact, I'd argue they're actively counter-productive. One of the self-described reasons for the feeling of alienation that many have expressed is exactly this type of generalization. If you have a goal of working against, this, it seems that you're actually reinforcing it when you do so.
  - mfoy_ 9y ago
    I think if those generalizations let us draw a useful parallel to a historical example, we can note the similarities (and differences) and apply lessons learned from that era to our own. (Not that Sartre included a chapter called "How to Have Avoided The Whole Affair" in his book...)
    - deleted 9y ago
      [deleted]