I Have A Political Thought Experiment That I Would Like To Share With You All That I Call "Persuading

I have a political thought experiment that I would like to share with you all that I call "Persuading the serial killer," which is really just about how you'd persuade someone who exists outside of your moral framework.

This is inspired by the fact that I watch too much true crime, but the thought experiment goes like this: If you were faced with a serial killer trying to kill you or someone else, how would you convince them not to? Serial killers do not conform to common morals like "killing is wrong," so arguing "You shouldn't kill me because killing is immoral!" is not going to help you. They don't recognize your moral system as real or valuable, so you cannot use it to persuade them. I, personally, would argue like so: "I have a very regular schedule, and people have already noticed that I'm missing. My mother and I talk almost constantly. She alone is probably already panicking that I'm gone and has called the police. I also have serious medical issues on record, so they won't wait the regular 24 hrs to start searching for me. You have a chance to get away now, but not if you spend time murdering me and hiding my body." Straight practical reasons why doing what they want to do will bring about something they absolutely don't want, i.e. if you waste time on murdering me, a high-priorty missing person, you'll get caught and never kill again.

The way this applies to politics is that you're gonna encounter people who do not completely overlap with your morals - probably not serial killers though. Like most Republicans and most Democrats would agree that unprovoked homicide is wrong and bad. No one is trying to pass a bill to get murder blanket-legalized. But obviously, conservatives have different moral views on things like abortion.

You cannot argue with a conservative that abortion isn't wrong. Your opinion that life does not begin at conception or that the right to choose should be in the pregnant person's hands no matter what exists outside of their moral framework just like "murder is wrong" exists outside the moral framework of a serial killer. So if I'm trying to argue against abortion legislation with someone I know is anti-abortion, I argue that abortion laws don't reduce abortions or abortion-related deaths. That the real way to reduce abortions is to make birth control over-the-counter and available to teenagers without parental permission like in the U.K. That if they think that is bad because it "promotes" premarital sex, they need to choose which is worse to them: teenagers having sex or abortions happening because teenagers are still going to have sex. That more support networks for pregnant people who want to keep the pregnancy but worry about their ability to financially support the child would do more good, and that there are several run by churches (but not enough, perhaps they should start one at their church)! That anti-abortion organizations in Europe who crusade against abortion in these ways are more successful at reducing abortion than any country with laws on the books to stop it.

You can apply this with a lot of things, but in short, when arguing with someone with different political views or morals that are mutually exclusive with yours, it's a bad bet to appeal to "but that's wrong! but that's bad! but that's immoral!" Jump straight to the practicalities, i.e. "That won't get you what you want, and here's why," not "You shouldn't want this." This won't always work (ex: you might run through all those abortion arguments, not satisfy the conservative you're arguing with, and in the process figure out that they really just want to legally punish people for premarital sex and don't actually care about abortion). However, leaving your morals out of an argument is your best bet at getting through to another person who may not share them.

*Updated to remove use of the term "psychopath" because I'm told that's an outdated concept.

More Posts from Angelbornaltruist and Others

angelbornaltruist

1 year ago

The Soul of Cinder is such a great concept bc it is literally the result of what happens if you refuse to let something die. It's something that needs to die, the whole world practically BEGS for it, but it still fights on bc of all the lords of the past who chose to keep it alive anyway.

Like, imagine a garden that is never trimmed but ever watered. It needs to be pruned, it needs to be restrained, it may even need to die in the winter so the farmer can have another go, but instead the farmer keeps watering it, keeps feeding it, until it grows out of proportion, leaves and vines tangling up fences and spilling out into the yard around it. In accepting the gift of life given to it, it has become deadly to the things around it, as it chokes out the life from other plants and ruins the natural order of things. Yet it can no longer be simply pruned in an afternoon now, no, now it's become a whole landscaping job (and as somebody who worked landscaping for a summer job, it's a nightmare). It took the life you gave, and it'll be damned if it gives that life back without a fight.

And that's exactly what we see with the soul of cinder, something that has to be killed, but it's clinging on to the gift of life with everything it's got. It's the indomitable human spirit in its most pure, terrifying form. Pulling out everything that it's ever been given in an effort to keep holding on to life.

Yet life must give way to death; the rain must drive away the sun, and the grass must wither and fade away.

Do you like any bad smells?

Cigarettes

Fuel exhaust

Skunk (not weed, actual skunk)

Wet dog

Sweat / BO

Old person

Several of these

Other??? (freak)

None I hate smelling anything ever

I’m not including weed or pussy bc if I did they would win by a landslide

And yes I like all of these smells, even tho half of them give me headaches

I’m not including weed or pussy bc if I did they would win by a landslide

And yes I like all of these smells, even tho half of them give me headaches

Tags

gasoline my beloved wanting to put sweat bc i like the scent of hard work but then being afraid of looking like i have a fetish

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angelbornaltruist

4 months ago

Since I'm considering making new designs for my Redbubble shop, I'm thinking about my Plaidified Disney Princesses, including:

Sea serpent Ariel

Classic giant Snow White

And Rapunzel with a Jack and the Giant Beanstalk twist

Unfortunately, from what I researched, Disney isn't partnered with Redbubble's fanart program, which means selling Disney fanart is copyright infringement. But that doesn't mean I can't make my own designs based on the OG fairytales... [insert eyes emoji]

Anyway, just an idea I'm contemplating. I'm currently still figuring out details about Giant Kaiju Ladies designs and eager to see your suggestions--this fairytale concept is just a fun idea for future reference (and some cute G/t art for my fellow g/t-enjoyers haha)

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angelbornaltruist

2 weeks ago

does anyone wanna hold hands until we feel a little braver

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angelbornaltruist

1 year ago

The love of knowledge or education is a blessing, but it's rough to live in a world where it's seen as a curse.

Hell, maybe it really is one.

People talk about gifted kid syndrome but people don't talk about just being the kid who liked to learn surrounded by people who don't. It's harmful to tell kids they're special and gifted and instill in them high standards and expectations, but it's also harmful to be someone who just enjoys learning and understanding the world around them yet also be surrounded by people who can't or have no desire to.

Struggling due to impossibly high expectations is one thing, Struggling bc no one around you has the desire or ability to reach the expectations is another.

Maybe it's because society encourages children to hate school and education (maybe because the public education system in the us is awful), but it's such a strange, haunting sort of loneliness to constantly seek to move towards a light while everyone around you is either too foolish or too blind to even see it.

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angelbornaltruist

6 months ago

in other news I almost had a mental breakdown in class today. My first time truly experiencing information overload.

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