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<blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 5721700" data-attributes="member: 4937">So?&nbsp; Maybe they are passionate because they are actually right?&nbsp; Or maybe they are passionate because they are the best informed?&nbsp; Or maybe they are passionate because there is something tangible at stake for them if in a larger sense, there 'side' loses the argument. To keep this in inoffensive terms, perhaps the issue is Coke vs. Pepsi.&nbsp; The Coke lovers are facing a situation where if there voice doesn't get heard, not only will Coke potentially become harder to find than the unpalatable Pepsi, but the producer of Coke may feel the need to concede the argument by producing a New Coke which is actually a Pepsi knock off.&nbsp; This memetic war then actually has stakes.&nbsp; Now, if you are a person who can't tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi by taste, or who doesn't like Cola anyway (you only drink Dr. Pepper), or who doesn't really care - all this passionate protesting of New Coke and all these passionate attempts to extol the virtues of classic Coke over New Coke may seem like so much silliness you you.&nbsp; But there is for many people something real and a tangible cost to their happiness involved by just conceding the argument and trying to learn to like New Coke.I'm claiming that in most cases its not only difficult, but impossible.&nbsp; If it was merely difficult, you'd have no objection from me.&nbsp;&nbsp; But I by no means assume that &quot;difficult&quot; is anything but the very best case scenario.&nbsp; I'd also like to note that &quot;we might benefit from many minds working together&quot; is an appeal to the &quot;man power fallacy&quot; I mentioned earlier.&nbsp; We might.&nbsp; We might not however.Which again, is exactly like I said, the whiff of implying that anyone disagreeing with you - those passionate people arguing vociferously for their beliefs - are irrational and you represent the reasoned position.&nbsp; What makes you so certain that the they haven't completed the analysis that you are only calling for?&nbsp; Maybe they have actually done the analysis already, and its the conclusion of that analysis that is driving their passion.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Celebrim, post: 5721700, member: 4937"] So? Maybe they are passionate because they are actually right? Or maybe they are passionate because they are the best informed? Or maybe they are passionate because there is something tangible at stake for them if in a larger sense, there 'side' loses the argument. To keep this in inoffensive terms, perhaps the issue is Coke vs. Pepsi. The Coke lovers are facing a situation where if there voice doesn't get heard, not only will Coke potentially become harder to find than the unpalatable Pepsi, but the producer of Coke may feel the need to concede the argument by producing a New Coke which is actually a Pepsi knock off. This memetic war then actually has stakes. Now, if you are a person who can't tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi by taste, or who doesn't like Cola anyway (you only drink Dr. Pepper), or who doesn't really care - all this passionate protesting of New Coke and all these passionate attempts to extol the virtues of classic Coke over New Coke may seem like so much silliness you you. But there is for many people something real and a tangible cost to their happiness involved by just conceding the argument and trying to learn to like New Coke. I'm claiming that in most cases its not only difficult, but impossible. If it was merely difficult, you'd have no objection from me. But I by no means assume that "difficult" is anything but the very best case scenario. I'd also like to note that "we might benefit from many minds working together" is an appeal to the "man power fallacy" I mentioned earlier. We might. We might not however. Which again, is exactly like I said, the whiff of implying that anyone disagreeing with you - those passionate people arguing vociferously for their beliefs - are irrational and you represent the reasoned position. What makes you so certain that the they haven't completed the analysis that you are only calling for? Maybe they have actually done the analysis already, and its the conclusion of that analysis that is driving their passion. [/QUOTE]

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