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TWO_LEAKS

                                            September 17, 2021

                                            From material originally published
                                            at the dailykos in 2015.

                                                                TWO_GATES
The Need for Leaks

So, how to proceed? I suggest:

 (1) embrace the fact that you really are using rules-of-thumb that
     automatically downgrades the opinions of some factions (there's
     no need to feel ashamed or lazy about this: it's a necessity).

 (2) create some exceptions for your perception filters: engage with
     the "ignorables" with an open-mind on occasion, to see if you can
     learn something from them. This might even be formalized-- "Every
     third Sunday, I will park my snark-reflex, and try to talk
     reasonably with Those Guys."

Stage one is a very quick-and-dirty process: you have to expect it to
be fallible... so ideally it should leak: it should be possible to
make it through even if the usual criteria isn't met. If it doesn't
ever leak, we should look into opening up some holes to make it leak.

The phenomena that some people refer to as living in an "echo chamber"
or a "bubble" is a disease of the first stage: if you use affinity to
rigorously screen for voices to listen to, and never engage seriously
with any dissenting voices, there's a risk of getting trapped in
groupthink.

(Though conversely: if you do no screening at all, you can waste your
life arguing with people who aren't worth your time, who haven't taken
the trouble to master the basics, or perhaps aren't capable of it.)
                                    
    One of my ideas is to decree a                
    "blue moon day" that I set aside to                
    engage with people who I normally          Another idea would be         
    might ignore. Actual blue moons are        to have some designated         
    a little too infrequent for this           trusted diplomats       
    purpose so it should probably be           (speaker-to-ignorables)         
    something else... maybe "first             that look around for    
    prime Saturdays" would work.               material that should be         
                                               brought to the attention         
                                               of the home bubble.     
                                                                        
                                               None of us are really in      
                                               this alone: I need to get     
                                               out of the habit of          
                                               thinking as though I'm   
                                               running a solo operation 
                                               with one member          





                                                                       
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