Thank you.* It's an ongoing pattern I've noticed again and
again. Once you notice the pattern of an ideology taking hold in
somebody, there's not much time to be helpful. I had it the
other day:* A friend had a persuasive argument, based upon
regular logical methods (the stuff ppl learn in college
philosophy I suppose) explaining how AI WILL EVENTUALLY DESTROY
HUMANITY. He felt justified.* He countered every point people
made.* He considered his position logical, tenable, and,
frankly, important for people to agree with. It took a LOT OF
convincing for me to help him.* I played his logic game, went
back and forth for a while and then I let him have it.* I don't
like doing that - I said some things that weren't very nice in
the process but it was important to me. In the end, he could see
it* This is all online but it had a "tons of bricks" realization
quality about it. The whole time he felt logical, justified and
if one followed his arguments and did not question, he was
likely correct. But he didn't see, at first, how his original
premise was flawed.* But eventually he did.* I may have only
succeeded in a chink in his armor but I see t have gotten
though. The reason why I fought him so tooth and nail wasn't
about his logic: it was the fervency of his belief that was
frightening.* He considers himself without beliefs, just logic.
But he's not - no one is. Belief is a part of our cognitive
processes. I wanted to stop him from going to far with it
because he was getting very close to basically "going Luddite"
in response.. That would be his choice of course.* But being
wrapped up in the ideology, he wasn't thinking straight.** He
was sounding paranoid to me. So, I look for the patterns because
I don't care if I win an internet debate or having someone agree
with me.... but I do care about psycho
