Wrestling with Infinities
Divergence, but wrapped in convergence
Argument runs on shared facts.
The internet obliterates shared facts.
Restoring shared facts re-enables Argument.
This is a simple method for restoring shared facts.
I. Divergence
Today’s internet overwhelms our brains, trapping us in a DIVERGENT infinite series:
“My claim has 7 supporting pieces of internet evidence.”
”Oh? 7-fold rebuttal of all 7 pieces of evidence, for 49 internet counterclaims.”“Ha! 7-fold rebuttal of all YOUR rebuttals, for 343 counter-counterclaims.”
“Nope, sorry. 7-fold counter-rebuttals, for 2,401 countercla…”
“Fact-checking” is useless when everyone has got their very own facts. “Going back” only drives us further apart.
Nothing can be settled to anyone’s satisfaction. So nothing gets solved.
How do we escape?
II. Convergence
We escape by wrapping our DIVERGENT infinite series in something bigger, more general, and easier to handle:
a CONVERGENT infinite series!
“Arguing about this is pointless. We all have got different facts.”
“Logically, we can always agree THAT we disagree on our facts, yes?”
“I’m not so sure about that.”
“So you agree THAT we aren’t sure whether we disagree?”
“I’m not so sure about that.”
“So you agree THAT we aren’t sure whether we disagree?”“I’m not so sure about that.”
“So you agree...”
As you can see, this simple line of questioning rapidly converges to a steady-state infinite loop.
Fast, easy, and cognitively inexpensive to deploy (“So you agree THAT…”), our newly wrapped loop resolves in one of two ways:
“Fine, yes, we agree on that one point.”
“Good, now we have a shared fact from which to argue forward together!”“I’ll never agree with you on that.”
“Good, so you’re just venting, not arguing. That’s cool.”
If we want to argue together to solve problems, it is obvious that we can. If we don’t want to argue together, it’s equally obvious that we don’t have to.
Either option escapes the divergent trap.
Argument runs on shared facts.
The internet obliterates shared facts.
Restoring shared facts re-enables Argument.
This is a simple method for restoring shared facts.
III. Argument
By my definition, “Argument is a shared method of solving shared problems. It runs on rational transparency.”
The internet has turned us all into DIVERGENT solo researchers. Now everyone has got their very own facts.
Under these conditions, debate doesn’t solve anything!
Before we leap straight into combat, as happens so often on the internet, we should first argue out a pair of CONVERGENT ground rules:
What is this debate about?
How will we know who won and who lost?
Only then does our debate stand a chance of being productive.
Get on the same page, if you want to solve problems.
Set shared premises first. THEN argue together.
CONVERGENCE is key.
IV. Summary
DIVERGENCE is an infinite processing leak. Your computer will run out of memory, and nothing will get solved.
CONVERGENCE is a low-cost means of STOPPING infinite processing leaks. It isn’t a solution by itself, but it does get everyone solving the same solvable problem.
To enable shared problem-solving by shared Argument, simply use the method I demonstrate in this post.