It is really hard to be highly critical of a persons behavior without coming off as uncharitable or mean. If you see someone regularly make shockingly wrong statements, and then double down on them when confronted, are you allowed to describe them as “egregiously overconfident”? “shockingly overconfident”? “regularly overconfident to a large degree”? Which of these are uncharitable, and which of these are just an accurate statement of your beliefs about a person’s behavior?
This is why people really need to be cut some slack when engaging in good faith criticism of public figures. Ignoring all criticism that is not presented in a sufficently nice tone is not far off from just ignoring all criticism.
I just think this is a “law of opposite advice” situation! You’re right, but the point is that EAs are already trying so so hard to correct in this direction that it’s a little silly sometimes (certainly on the forum). The hugboxing frame makes a lot of sense to me.
It is really hard to be highly critical of a persons behavior without coming off as uncharitable or mean. If you see someone regularly make shockingly wrong statements, and then double down on them when confronted, are you allowed to describe them as “egregiously overconfident”? “shockingly overconfident”? “regularly overconfident to a large degree”? Which of these are uncharitable, and which of these are just an accurate statement of your beliefs about a person’s behavior?
This is why people really need to be cut some slack when engaging in good faith criticism of public figures. Ignoring all criticism that is not presented in a sufficently nice tone is not far off from just ignoring all criticism.
I just think this is a “law of opposite advice” situation! You’re right, but the point is that EAs are already trying so so hard to correct in this direction that it’s a little silly sometimes (certainly on the forum). The hugboxing frame makes a lot of sense to me.