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A comment on Street Epistemology. Parent comment

Re:Street Epistemology by wussboy on Thursday June 23, 2022 @10:53AM (#31849928)
Your comment strikes at the core of the matter. Changing your mind is perceived as being spineless, or lacking in some essential moral component. It's unfortunate. Think of the millions who have died needlessly in large and small ways because humans were unable to admit the folly of their ways, even if they could clearly see it.

I stand by my original comment. True bravery is being willing to change your mind about important things.

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Re:Street Epistemology by AnimalMuppet on Thursday June 23, 2022 @12:56PM (#31851887)
I think there's a balance. Changing your mind when given sufficient reason to do so is bravery. Changing your mind when given inadequate reason to do so is spineless.

But that begs the question: What is adequate reason? curiousllama is saying that many of us will change for inadequate reasons, because we run into someone who knows more than we do on that particular topic. Not who is right, just who knows more. And if we adopt their position, we learn any more, just adopt their position.

So I think that maybe you have to know why they hold that position, and whether that "why" is valid. But if it is, sure, be brave enough to adopt their position. But if you don't know the why, and whether the why is valid, and you adopt their position anyway... that's kind of spineless.

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Re:Street Epistemology by curiousllama on Thursday June 23, 2022 @11:27AM (#31850476)
> I stand by my original comment

Not unexpected. After all, I did try to change your mind by saying "you should not change your mind."

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Re:Street Epistemology by wussboy on Friday June 24, 2022 @12:24AM (#31857790)
I feel like you’re implying “I am willing to change my mind” is equivalent to “I believe whatever the last thing I heard was”. But surely this is not so.
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Re:Street Epistemology by guerrilla on Thursday June 23, 2022 @11:49AM (#31850806)
I feel like this little interaction should be written into a play. It'd fit perfectly in Waiting for Godot.
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