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PaperclipPerfector  10mo ago (text post)   2563 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for July 7, 2023

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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There recently was a post about how another poster wants to host other motte users as couch surfers.

I want to do something similar. At free of cost. (You will have to find your own accommodation)

  • I like playing tour guide.

  • I can give a tour of my city that no other tour guide will offer. I know the places with "character". But it won't be only that. It will be a mix of the touristy and the local things for a more "complete" experience. No such other service exists because tourists are normies.

  • I have a good car. (Think Uber plus level)

  • I can save you a lot of money. By showing you good hotels and places to eat and things to do that are not tourist traps.

  • We can discuss motte'ish topics. I will specifically go to places where there will be things to point at and talk about.

  • Can introduce you to other rationalist adjacent people so that you have a group of temporary "friends" while on your trip.

How do I do this without doxxing myself? I don't particularly care about being doxxed. But some info-sec is required to keep away malicious actors, etc. Perhaps we take a path of mutually assured destruction, I don't know.

What do I gain from this? I like playing tour guide.

Why Mottizens in Particular? Because I've had better experiences, better enough to justify the time/money on my part when there is a common worldview/values/interests/IQ, in short, be a good fit for a conversation partner.

Let me know any pros or cons of this I am overlooking.

This may have been me actually - I'd also be down to host and visit. I'm still a year away from being able to go international for vacation but psyched to see the interest.

What is this place?

This website is a place for people who want to move past shady thinking and test their ideas in a court of people who don't all share the same biases. Our goal is to optimize for light, not heat; this is a group effort, and all commentators are asked to do their part.

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!

Check out The Vault for an archive of old quality posts. You are encouraged to crosspost these elsewhere.


Why are you called The Motte?

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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