Keep Your Identity Small
20 hours ago
- Politics and religion lead to unproductive discussions because people feel no need for expertise to have opinions, unlike topics like JavaScript or baking.
- These topics become part of people's identity, making them partisan and unable to engage in fruitful arguments.
- The issue is not the topic itself but whether it engages participants' identities; any topic can become a 'religious war' depending on the people involved.
- Fruitful discussions are possible only when participants' identities are not engaged, even with topics like politics or religion.
- To have better ideas, one should minimize the number of things that become part of their identity, as identity limits clear thinking.
- Being a scientist can be an exception to identity because it commits to following evidence rather than specific beliefs.