

Are All Arguments About The Same Thing Fundamentally? - davemel37

I was reading through the discussions here on HN about Buffer&#x27;s open salaries.<p>The two sides are. a)open is good and creates a fair environment. or b) open is bad because human nature will get involved and things will get ugly...<p>This is fundamentally the difference between democrats and republicans. Democrats have a positive perspective of an idealistic world, and republicans say, we have to face facts and acknowledge human natures role.<p>Same goes for pretty much every disagreement I can find. One side has an optimistic perspective, with short term results in mind and the other has the long game in mind, and wants to account for all the horrible things that might happen...<p>I am not saying one is right or wrong, although I certainly have my own personal opinion...<p>I just wonder if most theoretical, and political disagreements are all fundamentally about the same thing...<p>Whether we are short term optimistic thinkers, or long term pessimistic thinkers.
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mooism2
First, I wouldn't equate those positions with US political parties: consider
their views on climate change, for example.

Second, some arguments are about the nature of human nature. If you think it
is human nature to give everyone a fair chance, you will conclude that most
programmers being male must be because men are generally better at or more
interested in programming than are women. If you think it is human nature that
there are no great cognitive differences between men and women, at least when
it comes to programming, you will conclude that women are being discouraged or
otherwise being unfairly held back from becoming programmers.

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anywherenotes
Human nature isn't the same for everyone, think about fight or flight
reaction. So some people demonstrate violently, and others peacefully.

I think the people who have a long-term pessimistic opinion are only that way
because they perceive what humanity is based on their own predispositions.
Same is true for long-term optimistic perspective (even though that was
omitted as a choice in original post).

Being short-sighted or having a long term perspective aren't coupled with
optimism/pessimism. And politically both parties participate in both - most
people only care about unemployment within next couple of years, not
unemployment for next 70 years, so politicians have to cater to us, and they
are conflicting solutions.

