4 ms·

Thanks for responding, I think I get what you're saying. >I would say the safest assumption is to assume as little as possible initially, and try to dig out th

by eduren 9y ago

Thanks for responding, I think I get what you're saying. >I would say the safest assumption is to assume as little as possible initially, and try to dig out the details Just to clarify, when I said safest assumption I actually meant in the context of personal safety (not trying to spread FUD, just acknowledging we live in uncertain times). I would characterize your assumption as the fairest because it avoids misunderstanding and makes sure all participants get to fully articulate what they believe. While fair discourse ought to be the bedrock of a just society, it might not always be irrational to take people at their word.

kbenson 9y ago
That's true, I was still looking at it from the perspective of a safe setting (such as an internet comment). In physical contexts, my strategy is a bit more nuanced, in that I'll assume I may have misinterpreted[1], but make certain decisions as to involvement with the assumption I interpreted correctly. In other words, I'll choose to disassociate myself from situations where I feel danger. What I endeavor to do after situations like that is to not assume I was correct (without further evidence) and use that in future decisions. That is, I try not to say or think "the guy driving in front of me was drunk so I made sure not to drive close to him" but instead "the guy driving in front of me was swerving a lot and it appeared he might be drunk, so I made sure not to drive close to him." To some it seems like a small difference, but keeping your assumptions classified as assumptions in your head can be hard. 1: Of course this is with respect to how possible it is to misinterpret. "Kill the Jews!" is unlikely to result in a different interpretation on examination that results in a different action on your part.

4 ms·

Thanks for responding, I think I get what you're saying. >I would say the safest assumption is to assume as little as possible initially, and try to dig out th

by eduren 9y ago

kbenson 9y ago
That's true, I was still looking at it from the perspective of a safe setting (such as an internet comment). In physical contexts, my strategy is a bit more nuanced, in that I'll assume I may have misinterpreted[1], but make certain decisions as to involvement with the assumption I interpreted correctly. In other words, I'll choose to disassociate myself from situations where I feel danger. What I endeavor to do after situations like that is to not assume I was correct (without further evidence) and use that in future decisions. That is, I try not to say or think "the guy driving in front of me was drunk so I made sure not to drive close to him" but instead "the guy driving in front of me was swerving a lot and it appeared he might be drunk, so I made sure not to drive close to him." To some it seems like a small difference, but keeping your assumptions classified as assumptions in your head can be hard. 1: Of course this is with respect to how possible it is to misinterpret. "Kill the Jews!" is unlikely to result in a different interpretation on examination that results in a different action on your part.