Mastodawn

Facts don't change minds.

That should be top of mind when arguing on the Internet.

In reality, what often happens when you cite facts is that the person you're arguing with doubles down on their errant belief.

For many people, a challenge to their worldview feels like an attack on their personal identity and can cause them to harden their position

UConn Today

Another reality about Internet arguments is that they're often not about establishing a consensus on facts.

The motivation is usually more simple: winning.

Winning can often be aligned with establishing a consensus on facts but just as often, it is not.

@atomicpoet we should have called it sophist media, rather than social media.