But who is to say that cynicism can't itself be weaponized as easily as naivete? After all, we see politically-liberal people caution against cynicism and doomerism, saying it's deployed by those who wish to preserve the status quo.
It certainly could, which is why I'm not advocating for cynicism, what I advocate for is skepticism. Many true skeptics end up being cynics, but not all cynics are good skeptics.
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A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently,
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philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial
but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens
this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for
the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired
propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."
On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.
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Notes -
But who is to say that cynicism can't itself be weaponized as easily as naivete? After all, we see politically-liberal people caution against cynicism and doomerism, saying it's deployed by those who wish to preserve the status quo.
It certainly could, which is why I'm not advocating for cynicism, what I advocate for is skepticism. Many true skeptics end up being cynics, but not all cynics are good skeptics.
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