[ExI] Political correctness consequences

[William Flynn Wallace]

On Tue, Aug 2, 2016 at 3:43 AM, Anders <anders at aleph.se> wrote:

> The basic intellectual problem with political correctness (in a
> generalized sense) is this:
>
> 1. We strive to uphold some noble value (equality, patriotism, purity of
> math...) X
> 2. We use argument A (among others) to argue for the value.
> 3. You point out argument A is invalid.
> 4. Hence you must be against X, and you are a *bad* person!
>
> Sure, there is more sociology and psychology to it than that, but I think
> this is what makes political correctness truly problematic in academia.
>
> ​I'd like to add a bit or two.  PC people tend towards the extremes of
> whatever position they hold. They also tend to be very high on the
> Purity/Disgust dimension (Haidt).  When something comes along that is
> different from what they hold they are suspicious, sometimes to the point
> of paranoia.​  A little of the 'bad stuff' (other positions, something
> undercutting their position, like Anders' example of an invalid argument)
> is disgusting prima facie and thus violating their purity stance.
>
> --
>
​This is black and white thinking at its worst.  Notice at 1. above in
Anders' list is assumed to be true and inarguable​.  I'd say this is far
worse than 'problematic'.  From my perspective it's a form of religious
thinking.  You are challenging their God or their Bible and automatically
wrong - and a bad person!

These people have infected the Republican Party and its offshoots, like the
Tea Party.  At first they look very good, very dedicated, full of the right
ideas.  Then you find that they are inflexible and nearly rabid in their
beliefs.  A bit like the Martyr Complex, eh?

​Impossible to deal with or change in any way.  The slightest compromise is
disgusting.

Definition  (of personality disorder)By Mayo Clinic Staff
<http://www.mayoclinic.org/about-this-site/welcome>

A personality disorder is a type of mental disorder in which you have a
rigid and unhealthy pattern of thinking, functioning and behaving. A person
with a personality disorder has trouble perceiving and relating to
situations and to people. This causes significant problems and limitations
in relationships, social encounters, work and school.

In some cases, you may not realize that you have a personality disorder
because your way of thinking and behaving seems natural to you. And you may
blame others for the challenges you face.
We tend to think of psychosis and neurosis as the mental disorders but
these in certain ways are just as bad.  This is the category in which the
psychopath falls (the PC personality could not be further from the
psychopath but both have personality disorders)

bill w​

> Dr Anders Sandberg
> Future of Humanity Institute
> Oxford Martin School
> Oxford University
>
>
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