Yeah, and in some cases, it’s powerful to see people disagreeing at all. Like if an asshole says a bunch of stuff and no-one challenges it, then that can contribute to a spectator feeling like that the asshole must be right. Even if their initial gut impression is that the asshole is wrong, seeing opinions again and again can chip away at what we believe. Humans are deeply social creatures, so if someone believes that everyone else believes what the asshole is saying, that can cause there to be a powerful force for conforming to a particular view.

Humans are deeply silly creatures, but by understanding the ways that we tend to think like this, we can be smart about how we leverage our instincts to become collectively smart. Sometimes that means engaging in a seemingly futile argument with someone who isn’t arguing in good faith