[Tango-L] Style Wars: Truth and Truthiness

[Stephen.P.Brown@dal.frb.org]

Konstantin wrote:
>But I think the key [to truth vs. truthiness] is how these groups
>deal with information that contradicts their views. The
>biased outcome/truthiness only persists if unfavourable
>facts are selectively rejected, i.e. the outcome is
>unfalsifiable.

I agree, although the statement is presented to an extreme.  All that is 
required that the distribution of accepted answers has a persistent bias 
in differing from the truth.

>This apparently tends to happen with authoritarians
>more, hence my mention of the concept.

It does seem likely to be correct that authoritarian organization might 
lead to a greater likelihood of the rejection of unfavorable facts.  (It 
may even be one definition of authoritarianism.)  So I will agree with 
you.

Nonetheless, individual self-perpetuating biases can persist as was shown 
by Wing Suen in The Economic Journal (April 2004), and informal networks 
of like-minded individuals can generate group biases and polarization 
without authoritarians, as shown by Munger in Public Choice (January 
2008).  I think such group biases and polarization is evident in the 
truthiness often found on Tango-L.

So, I think our views are converging.

Interestingly enough, for most tango dancers, their first introduction to 
such biases likely came from their first teacher.  Most teachers convey 
their own sense of style rather than teaching tango in a manner that is 
indedpendent of style.

Steve