>A slightly off-topic insight I came upon recently was from the civil rights movement: don't call people racist, because it backs them into a corner they can't

>A slightly off-topic insight I came upon recently was from the civil rights movement: don't call people racist, because it backs them into a corner they can't get out of. >It's better to debate them on their choices so they can find their own way towards a more enlightened and equitable worldview. Whether this is possible is very dependent on what exactly is meant by the massively overloaded "racist"/"sexist"/"bigot" terms. These terms are sometimes apt, but quite often these days, they are deployed against facts, in which case it's not possible to reason someone out of the position. >I've also come to realize that this may partially explain why conservatives I know have been reluctant to engage in political discussion in these times. No, the main reason for this is that holding certain positions is dangerous in some bubbles. See: James Damore, Lindsay Shepherd, Eric Weinstein, or Charles Murray. >engaging them in a more positive way. I'm still trying to figure out what that is, however. Pinker has some thoughts on that: https://youtu.be/fFohRupaXzc?t=972 https://youtu.be/fFohRupaXzc?t=972