Good Faith as Resistance

"In the face of algorithms that are designed to divide us, good faith is the truest form of resistance!"

Have you ever been in a meaningless argument with a friend? Maybe you were watching a movie and arguing about where you’ve seen that actor before, or something similarly innocuous. You were arguing vehemently; you couldn’t believe how wrong your friend was. Then, red-faced, you realized you were wrong.

What did you do?

Did you admit your mistake?

Or, did you stick to your guns, double down, and try to win?

It’s human to want to win! But is it really the best course?

What is good faith?

Arguing in good faith means that you approach arguments with a genuine desire to learn and develop your understanding of the subject. Even if you discover that your position is wrong, you will be satisfied because you learned why you were mistaken and adjusted your beliefs accordingly. With such an approach, it would be incoherent to think of “winning” the argument by “defeating” your “opponent.”

When arguing in good faith, the person representing the opposing side would not be seen as an “opponent.” Rather, we call them interlocuters; they are your partners in learning more about a subject by presenting objections to your position. As you each present arguments back and forth, you both refine your positions to make your arguments as robust as possible. In the end, if you have done your jobs, you both will have benefited from the exchange.

This is the ideal of argumentation that we all ought to strive for. If not, then what is the purpose of arguing?

Of course, approaching others in good faith is difficult. One needs to set aside ego and a desire to prove one’s intelligence at someone else’s expense. And as I already stated: It’s human to want to win.

The Problem

Why is trolling and dunking on other people a common occurrence online? A popular explanation is that humans have evolved for face-to-face interactions, and online discourse is inherently more detached and anonymous than our brains are hardwired to handle.

When speaking face-to-face, we rely on a vast amount of non-verbal communication to better understand one another. Empathy is a crucial component of our exchanges because our “…ability to share others' distress is a critical component in eliciting prosocial behaviour.” However, when our interlocuter is behind a keyboard in a different location, we experience a sense of detachment that can make it easy to dehumanize the person who is disagreeing with us.

Additionally, the environments themselves are designed to boost incendiary posts by promoting rage-inducing content. Social media companies make their money off selling your data, and the longer you stay on the platform, the more data they gather. Making you angry is a tried and true method for keeping you on the hook.

Since online discourse lacks the social rewards of face-to-face communication, people seek other sources of validation. And since inflammatory rhetoric is what gets boosted by the algorithms, social media sites and comment sections are fertile ground for trolls seeking to enrage others.

It is no wonder that good faith argumentation has eroded online. In its place, many people have resorted to a perverse, mean-spirited competition for status, while others lurk, often not willing to put their ideas forward for fear of being the next target.

True Resistance

Can anyone honestly say their life is better for having engaged in bad faith online argumentation or trolling? I seriously doubt it.

So then, who benefits? Clearly the richest and most powerful people in our world have designed this system.

To what ends?

1. It helps make them richer as they gather and sell more of your data

2. It allows them to guide people’s perspectives by keeping them focused on meaningless arguments rather than consequential events.

3. It keeps us divided against one another rather than united against those who would exploit us all for their own gain.

That is why a good faith approach is more than just an effective way to get to the truth. It is a moral imperative! In the face of algorithms that are designed to divide us, good faith is the truest form of resistance!

How to do it

1. Seek understanding rather than victory. If you approach online arguments with this objective, then it won’t matter if people disagree with you. In fact, you should welcome it.
   

2. Don’t worry about getting the last word. If someone has shown themselves to be a bad faith actor, then let their comment stand. If you have taken the high road and been charitable in your approach then let your words speak for themselves to anyone else who may read them.
   
   In other words: Let go, or be dragged
   
   In other other words: Never wrestle with pigs. You both get dirty, and the pig likes it.
   

3. Steelman rather than strawman opposing arguments. Too often, you’ll see people try and rephrase arguments so that they are easier to defeat. That is called a “strawman” argument because it is easy to knock over. Instead, try to frame their argument in as strong a form as possible. Only then will your objections be truly tested against their argument.
   
   One great technique for arguing in good faith is to phrase your interlocuter’s argument in terms that they agree with. If they say something like, “That’s not what I meant,” then endeavor to reword your framing of their points until they agree that your interpretation of their argument is accurate.
   

4. Look for daylight. No one completely disagrees with everything. Seek points of agreement with your interlocuters and then slowly build off of those points of agreement until you find the spot where your opinions diverge. That is where you need to focus your mutual attention.
   

5. Be aware of your emotional response and take time before replying. When someone disagrees with you, it is human to react emotionally. However, that does not always lead to the most productive discussion. One of the strengths of online discourse is that you have the time to step away, consider your response, write it, save the draft, walk away, come back to it, edit it, all before finally hitting send.

Remember, we’re all more alike than we are different! If someone is trying to convince you otherwise, they likely have an agenda that is not in your best interests.

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