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If you believe that no idea should ever be considered intolerable and off-limits, you implicitly assume ideas have no real power
If you believe that ideas powerfully motivate and drive action, you implicitly believe some ideas are too dangerous to allow into the public sphere
If you believe that ideas powerfully motivate and drive action, you implicitly believe some ideas are too dangerous to allow into the public sphere
I used to be a Libertarian. I used to somehow believe both in the unlimited free marketplace of ideas and also that ideas are extraordinarily powerful
I suppose the glue that held these radically incompatible ideas together was the idea that humans are fundamentally rational
I suppose the glue that held these radically incompatible ideas together was the idea that humans are fundamentally rational
Free marketplace of ideas people assume people will always eventually reach the correct conclusion, which assumes no idea is so toxic that it disabled your ability to do so
It's like eating raw chicken. It's not a matter of digestion, but of salmonella
It's like eating raw chicken. It's not a matter of digestion, but of salmonella
Some ideas short-circuit rationality. If you believe that lizard people walk amongst us and control everything, any evidence I present to the contrary will simply be proof of the lizard people's power to fabricate compelling evidence. You will walk away even MORE convinced
If you decide that you are part of an inherently superior group, you will believe everything you do to be correct, regardless of inconsistencies moment to moment. I talk about this a lot in my writing because once you start seeing it you can't stop
Logic can't touch that shit
Logic can't touch that shit
And some ideas are simply too abhorrent to be allowed in a society of human beings
If you believe in genocide, you don't get a hearing. If you believe in subjugating a group of people: no hearing for you. Humankind's unalienable right to life and liberty are not up for debate
If you believe in genocide, you don't get a hearing. If you believe in subjugating a group of people: no hearing for you. Humankind's unalienable right to life and liberty are not up for debate
It's important not to overuse idea shutdown, I think, because it risks diluting the "absolutely not" category with things that are gross but not profane
And it's good to be mindful that some methods of driving ideas underground glamorize said ideas for malleable edgelord kids
And it's good to be mindful that some methods of driving ideas underground glamorize said ideas for malleable edgelord kids
In principle, though? Yeah, I'm absolutely for silencing actual goddamn Nazis. It's not up for debate. You don't get to sell shit sandwiches in our idea marketplace
Get the hell out
Get the hell out
