On 11/25/99, at 10:55 AM, Rob Harris wrote:
>>I would bet that 95% of the subscribers to this list are NT (only 12% of
>>general public), that at least 70% are xNTP (6% of public), and that at least
>>40% are INTP (1% of public). This is a hurdle that no one has mentioned in
>>propagating our ideas.
>We still have good old universal reason. If you force the guy you're arguing
>with to check his premises (they're ALWAYS completely screwed in my
>experience), you'll find that having rebuilt the argument, you both agree.
>Reason is not personal.
I think you're proving my point by the assumptions and language in your reply. Not everyone responds the way you do, and you have to take that into account if you want to gain converts, or to reduce opposition.
Reason *is* personal, for most people.
I just went to the LPNH convention, where Michael Cloud spoke about selling the libertarian message. You're using the language of confrontation. Argument. War. "force the guy you're arguing with" is an approach that will fail more often than it will succeed. It backs people against a wall. They will fight back, and stop listening to what you are saying.
"Let me explain to you how stupid you are. And you will be so grateful that you will thank me, and embrace my ideas."
The alternative to the battlefield is the marketplace. You have a great product to sell. Use sales techniques. Focus on what *they* care about -- *their* values, *their* goals -- and show how the extropian future supports those things. Soft sell.
Of course, Stiegler's "The Gentle Seduction" is a perfect example of this.
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