I disagree with much of what you say there. As just one example:
you have never answered any questions about your own bias.
Let’s start with how that statement assumes that you’ve monitored all my conversations? You’ve monitored all my blog comments?
And secondly, I have answered questions about my own bias many times. There is no doubt that my views are biased. If you want to know about my view of my biases, please go ahead and ask.
quite the opposite. you shut it down by attributing everything to people motivations.
First, at the very least, if you’re going to discuss this try to tackle the difference between “motivations” and “motivated reasoning.” It is an unfortunate outcome of lack of clarity in syntax that leads to that conflation – but I have discussed this with you before. I am not attributing “everything” let alone much at all, to people’s “motivations.” I am assuming that we are all “motivated” here by pretty much the same outcomes. It seems there really is nothing for us to discuss further about motivated reasoning as you seem quite content to persist in the conflation between that concept and “motivations.” We have discussed this a number of times, it seems unlikely that we’re going to make any progress, eh?
Second, IMV, the convo is “shut down” fully independent of my input – for two basic reasons: (1) The vast majority of participants quite certain of their views: Folks like to get pats on the back from those they disagree with, and folks like to voice their views in disagreement with others, but “openness” to different views is rare, indeed. (2) What I say or don’t say (at least in these threads), what I do or don’t do (at least in these threads), makes little difference.
Steven – rather typically, you want to make this discussion about me. Well, in response to that I will say that you and I fully agree (as I just said) that what I say or don’t say (at least in these threads), what I do or don’t do (at least in these threads), makes little difference. I hope that makes you feel better.
Now it seems to me that you think that in contrast, what you say/don’t say and do/don’t do in blog comment threads makes a difference by virtue of your more enlightened approach and reasoning. And you may well be absolutely correct about that… If so, more power to you.
Anyway, it’s a beautiful day out there, and my yard beckons.
