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A fun metaphor. A SPA-inclined team/consultancy/department will retreat to their motte when necessary. They'll live to fight another day. Given a chance, they'l

by xpe 3y ago

A fun metaphor. A SPA-inclined team/consultancy/department will retreat to their motte when necessary. They'll live to fight another day. Given a chance, they'll return to the bailey, advocating for SPAs under a relaxed standard. Using this metaphor can imply significant disingenuity: a lack of honesty about one's true belief.

freedomben 3y ago
> Using this metaphor can imply significant disingenuity: a lack of honesty about one's true belief. I actually disagree. I think this is the natural state of people, and they come by it honestly. We make decisions emotionally and then justify them rationally. It's just the way we are. You could maybe say it's a lack of honesty about one's true belief to themselves. But even then it's hard to fault somebody for lack of awareness for something that is very subtle. Honestly I think pointing out this human tendency and calling it out with examples like this is the best way to combat it. Once people become aware of it, they are more likely to fight it internally.
- xpe 3y ago
  Two things. First, yes, people can deceive themselves. To the extent this is true, I take your point; it isn’t a matter of honesty in the usual sense; it is perhaps better stated in terms of self inconsistency; i.e. having internal contradictions in one’s beliefs. Second, people do can and do lie about this kind of thing. I’m talking about conscious deception. Motives vary; they range from “I’ll pick my battles” to “this is good for my income stream” to “these other people don’t know it yet, but I’m right, and they’ll thank me later” and others.
- xpe 3y ago
  > … I think pointing out this human tendency and calling it out with examples like this is the best way to combat it. Once people become aware of it, they are more likely to fight it internally. Sometimes that works. Sometimes it just causes people to dig in deeper.

by xpe 3y ago

freedomben 3y ago

> Using this metaphor can imply significant disingenuity: a lack of honesty about one's true belief. I actually disagree. I think this is the natural state of people, and they come by it honestly. We make decisions emotionally and then justify them rationally. It's just the way we are. You could maybe say it's a lack of honesty about one's true belief to themselves. But even then it's hard to fault somebody for lack of awareness for something that is very subtle. Honestly I think pointing out this human tendency and calling it out with examples like this is the best way to combat it. Once people become aware of it, they are more likely to fight it internally.

xpe 3y ago
Two things. First, yes, people can deceive themselves. To the extent this is true, I take your point; it isn’t a matter of honesty in the usual sense; it is perhaps better stated in terms of self inconsistency; i.e. having internal contradictions in one’s beliefs. Second, people do can and do lie about this kind of thing. I’m talking about conscious deception. Motives vary; they range from “I’ll pick my battles” to “this is good for my income stream” to “these other people don’t know it yet, but I’m right, and they’ll thank me later” and others.
xpe 3y ago
> … I think pointing out this human tendency and calling it out with examples like this is the best way to combat it. Once people become aware of it, they are more likely to fight it internally. Sometimes that works. Sometimes it just causes people to dig in deeper.