You do see plenty of that in most places, but I feel like it’s way worse in Reddit. As if there was something there reinforcing it. (Perhaps the local culture? I have no idea.)
I don’t disagree that the voting system (specially karma) plays a role, but I think that Reddit embraces oversimplifications a bit too much, and that’s part of the problem - because then you get both sides discussing if 2+2 is 3 or 5, and if you say “it’s 4” nobody will bat an eye (except to screech at you).
In special, three types of false dichotomy:
no gradation: 50 is either 0 or 100.
no third category: since apples and bananas are different from each other, then grapes must be either a type of apple or a type of banana.
no superset or subset: if all bananas are fruits, then all fruits are bananas.
You do see those things in Lemmy too, but nowhere as much as in Reddit; and it has consequences everywhere, including political discussion. Or in 4chan - as much as their userbases hate each other, they fall for the same logical traps.
Just like literally everywhere else
You do see plenty of that in most places, but I feel like it’s way worse in Reddit. As if there was something there reinforcing it. (Perhaps the local culture? I have no idea.)
It’s the voting system. Truth is not democratic.
I don’t disagree that the voting system (specially karma) plays a role, but I think that Reddit embraces oversimplifications a bit too much, and that’s part of the problem - because then you get both sides discussing if 2+2 is 3 or 5, and if you say “it’s 4” nobody will bat an eye (except to screech at you).
In special, three types of false dichotomy:
You do see those things in Lemmy too, but nowhere as much as in Reddit; and it has consequences everywhere, including political discussion. Or in 4chan - as much as their userbases hate each other, they fall for the same logical traps.