Reply To: Massive argument on Fakebook about Vultology

[Juan E. Sandoval]

It's very difficult to take ego out of typing, indeed!
Both on the side of the typee and the typer. Type can very easily become the very definition of a person's identity, even though I would not recommend it. So the typee has a stake in it.
And the typer has a stake in it too, and wants to retain his status/respect as an authority. And a typer's status/authority has to be defended with bravado and social pressure.. in proportion to how subjective and variable the matter at hand is. Scientists don't have to do that (as much) because the numbers are meant to speak for themselves. But in an environment that allows for reinterpretations and theoretical acrobatics to abound, the naturally selected method of authority-formation becomes charisma and confidence. It's human nature 101!
Anyhow, even CT is subject to these facts of group organization.. and I'm often terrified of it; legitimately. Humans seem to need reliable voices and so one often comes along to fill the gap. It's so easy to fall into that trap, and I feel it viscerally. I'm kinda shocked we haven't yet (or have we?) and that CT's remained subject to fundamental questioning - in all aspects - and that's what ensures it continues to grow.
And I'm starting to feel a lot safer now that we have some rising new vultologists <3, because I'm no saint. Only an in-build theoretical foundation that values data triangulation, cross-checking and a decentralized authority, can be a bulwark against this organic tendency for group-think to crop up and for intelligent groups like ours to fall into myopic loops.
also ty @animal for all your feedback on the Se description! i may have an idea of how to improve it now, which i'd like to share with you later. 🙂