Don't diagnose your opponents · seangoedecke.com RSS feed
Science, Technology & Innovation · Oct 11, 2026
Use motive-based explanations only after independently showing why an opposing claim is wrong, and lead with evidence rather than diagnosing the speaker’s incentives or psychology.
Don't diagnose your opponents · seangoedecke.com RSS feed
Science, Technology & Innovation · Oct 11, 2026
A person’s motives may explain why they hold a belief, but they do not determine whether the belief is true. In debates—especially business and technology—evaluate evidence, methodology, and concrete claims rather than dismissing or accepting conclusions based on suspected incentives or emotional motivations.
Don't diagnose your opponents · seangoedecke.com RSS feed
Science, Technology & Innovation · Oct 11, 2026
Opponent diagnosis weakens debate by replacing testable evidence with unfalsifiable claims about critics’ motives, so contested technology questions should be evaluated using measurable evidence, explicit assumptions, and clear falsifiers.