ACX
"But" vs. "Yes, But"
Scott explains why it's important to explicitly acknowledge when you're wrong in an argument before moving on to your next point, rather than just continuing with 'but...'
4 min read 476 words
A thread through the archive
communication
Essays tagged “communication”. Follow an idea across the archive.
Essays on communication
11 essaysACX
Triple Tragedy And Thankful Theory
Daniel Böttger shares his traumatic medical experiences and develops a theory about 'survival-oriented' vs 'thriving-oriented' systems based on computer science concepts, offering insights for improving collaboration.
30 min read 4,649 words
ACX
In Defense Of "I'm Sorry You Feel That Way"
Scott Alexander argues that 'I'm sorry you feel that way' is a valid and useful phrase in certain situations, despite widespread criticism.
5 min read 712 words
ACX
In Continued Defense Of Non-Frequentist Probabilities
Scott Alexander defends using probabilities for hard-to-model events, arguing they aid clear communication and decision-making even in uncertain domains.
23 min read 3,438 words
SSC
Style Guide: Not Sounding Like An Evil Robot
Scott Alexander offers a style guide to help writers avoid sounding overly robotic or scientific when discussing everyday topics, providing specific word replacements and usage guidelines.
9 min read 1,311 words
SSC
The Whole City Is Center
Scott Alexander examines the concept of 'laziness' and value differences, exploring how semantic debates can obscure practical communication and understanding.
36 min read 5,580 words
SSC
Conversation Deliberately Skirts The Border Of Incomprehensibility
The post explores how neurotypical social interactions often involve indirect communication, which can be confusing for autistic individuals, and suggests that conversations may be deliberately designed to be unpredictable.
7 min read 1,076 words
SSC
Unspoken Ground Assumptions Of Discussion
Scott Alexander explores five unspoken assumptions in discussions that can lead to misunderstandings and logical fallacies when not clarified.
6 min read 903 words
SSC
Map-Territory Distinctions
Scott humorously describes his frustrating attempts to dispose of an oversized trash can, exploring various communication strategies with garbage collectors.
3 min read 385 words
SSC
My objections to “objectification”
Scott argues against the concept of 'objectification', claiming it unnecessarily stigmatizes harmless attractions and prevents potentially beneficial relationships.
8 min read 1,172 words
LW
More thoughts on assertions
Scott analyzes when assertions should be trusted, showing that their evidentiary value depends on whether you already know the belief's distribution, the asserter's credentials, and how you encountered them, while claims of having 'evidence' mostly serve as signals of rationality rather than factual proof.
13 min read 1,958 words