> I think that a fair amount of the enmity in the world, to say nothing of confusion on the Internet, stems from people refusing to contemplate the real values of the opposition as the opposition sees it.
This is very insightful.
I agree that it's insightful. But I wonder if it often isn't "refusing to contemplate". I suspect that at least some of the time it's "I'd rather attack a strawman and win by default, rather than having to go to the hard work of attacking a solid position". That is, I think it's because people value victory more than truth.
> I think it's because people value victory more than truth.
This is undoubtedly the case for many people. Its also likely that some have not been exposed to a charitable a count of their oppositions’ values.