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PaperclipPerfector  4d ago (text post)   2082 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for November 2, 2025

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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Yes, I agree with you entirely, that is also how I have always interpreted it. But I think the wording of the rule is such that people who don't read it carefully and/or are less experienced with the forum culture can easily get the wrong impression of what it means. Essentially, we are using "consensus-building" as a technical term removed somewhat from its ordinary use, and people may misunderstand that and try to interpret it based off ordinary use.

I think the wording of the rule is such that people who don't read it carefully and/or are less experienced with the forum culture can easily get the wrong impression of what it means

Not to mention people whose native language isn't English which applies to a fair numbers of commenters here.

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The weekly Culture War threads host the most controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy; if in doubt, post!

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A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by 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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