Re: How to reach the masses

From: Adrian Tymes (wingcat@pacbell.net)
Date: Thu Sep 14 2000 - 00:19:07 MDT


Joe Dees wrote:
> >From: "Eliezer S. Yudkowsky" <sentience@pobox.com>
> >
> >The one thing you can never, ever do is condescend to your audience. Do so,
> >and you lose the empathy that lets you communicate effectively; you lose the
> >ability to transfer thoughts from yourself to the audience, and are left with
> >nothing but a few lifeless tricks of propaganda.

Problem: how can we tell when we're condescending? The fact of the
matter is that we *do* know more about this than most people; that's why
we're discussing it. How do we get people to know as much as we do,
without rubbing in their faces that we know more (or otherwise
condescending)?

> One must also remember that the "masses" are comprised of individuals.
> Any appeal to them must acknowledge that fact, and both address and be
> tailored to (each of) them as the individuals that they are. The
> leaders include the individuals as a subclass; if we can get them on
> board, the herdish followers will do what they do best, the only thing
> they know how to do, and follow.

Problem: this is almost a contradiction. If we appeal straight to the
leaders, then our actions advertise that we view the followers as
sheeple, rather than individuals.

Partial solution: make sure to craft the appeal to the leader in such a
way that the leader can regurgitate to the masses, so as to advertise
that we really do want to tell everyone and we're just being efficient
about it (and/or going through trusted channels, so that their
information can be pre-judged in the way they want).



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