From: Damien Sullivan (phoenix@ugcs.caltech.edu)
Date: Thu Apr 03 2003 - 18:32:32 MST
On Thu, Apr 03, 2003 at 03:03:57PM -0800, Robert J. Bradbury wrote:
> Can anyone currently subscribed to the ExI list cite
> an actual example where due to the list discussion they
> "changed" their mind?
A long time ago, like 1993, I was a Libertarian, and believed in morality from
natural law. Although there were things which bothered me about that. Some
post, I think by Dave Krieger but I'm not sure, opened my eyes to the
consequences of materialism, namely relativism at a philosophical level. I
still have a morality, but I don't claim it's absolute, although I may act
that way. :)
There's also the lurker effect, which I guess actually describes me above.
Even when disputants don't change their minds watching lurkers can. A friend
of mine shed his belief in gun control due to watching gun discussions.
> Memes are selfish -- they presumably have self-preservation
> motivations and selection criteria. How in the blazes
> can anyone offering an opinion on the ExI list hope to
> "change" someone elses mind? Perhaps a way of looking
We hope people also have the memes of open-mindedness and
evidence-considering, opening the way for other memes to be evicted.
-xx- Damien X-)
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