The Problem Of Self-Extrapolation

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Thinking-ape/Stardusk nailed this. Tribalism pretty much seems to be an aspect and side-effect of how we extrapolate the weights of our own individual anecdotes and experiences. Such experiences are fine for choosing one's own way of life for example but they get to be much more of a problem when it comes to politics and projecting oneself and one's own needs onto others.

Posting this because it's a natural, reflexive fallacy that we can all easily fall into if we're not watching out for it. To some extent it's even unavoidable (Jonathan Haidt seems to think this) but shining a light of self-awareness on it at least helps us reduce the quantity of it that we do somewhat.

Well articulated. Posters in PPR could benefit from this.

For some reason, even when I was young, I 'got' that there were in the world more perspectives than my own. This increased as I had various levels of immersions in a variety of lives and situations millions of miles from my own white, middle class, college bound, neighborhood.

Again, because of my race, gender and background, everything I learned is colored by my perspective. Nevertheless, as the speaker points out, attempting as much as one can is better than not attempting at all, or even ignoring the problem of self-extrapolation.

It's better to attempt.....than not to have tried or strived at all.

Determining initial context...
Defining parameters...
Indicating the premises...
All is an attempt to counter miscommunications...

It never ceases to amaze me how so many people start a topic/tread without the simplest attempt at defining the intent/context of the discussion...
And it never ceases to amaze me how many people will jump into a conversation without first engaging critical thinking...

The use of heuristics is an acceptible starting point...
Disregarding critical thinking during the discussion is not...

Is not the inherent problem of "Self-Extrapolation" simply a manifestation of unconscious bias and a lack of ego-control?
Is it not a case of simple hubris?
And isn't it simply a case of becoming self-aware of our biases and keeping them under maintenance?

Many people lack the discipline of defining the conversation initially...
This can be fixed through...errr...discipline...

It gets less 'simple' when it's reliably ubiquitous. Then it's closer to an inescapable miasma.

I don't see the problem of self-extrapolation as one of lacking discipline. Discipline, bias, ego control, are words/phrases that can be used in a negative connotation. We can talk down to the people stupid enough to not have these things under control. This promotes conversation? And we are supposed to keep our biases "under maintenance?" Do we bring them into the bias repair shop for a tune up?

Perhaps others have a better imagination than I, but as a fish who doesn't see the water he breathes, I do not see the other perspectives until my position actually physically shifts. I have my shallow white privileged level of compassion. Then, when I actually move into the lives and dramas of people other than my own, OMG, my perception is thrown out of whack totally. I know the result is still colored by my privilege but it is oh, "ground pulled out from under my feet" different.

Then at least I can humbly stand in front of others and listen to what they are actually telling me. Am I perfect? Of course not. Failing many times over. But I see as much as I can and I try as best as I can.

I am a dynamic person. I don't assume history is static.

I like evolution, rather than devolution.

I'd rather sit at home and read a book than go out "exploring"......

I must say I'd rather not get into "alternative" political systems. I don't believe they, ultimately, work.

I can't get into the Camus brand of existentialism, either.....that sort of detachment. It just bothers me.