Manipulating Non-Rationalists

Almost every person acts as though they want to be regarded as rational, even though only a minority even clearly understands what reason is in the first place.  Only some within that minority intentionally align themselves with reason.  A mere five minute conversation about anything explicitly philosophical with almost anyone outside of this small group exposes their lack of intelligence rather quickly.

There are several ways for a rationalist to deal with whoever is not an ideological sibling.  They can 1) patiently reason with non-rationalists, 2) reason with non-rationalists or refute them in a more openly aggressive manner, or 3) actively manipulate them into silence.  The first strategy almost never pays off (at least not before a great deal of damage has already been done to some part of society), and the second is often not enough to deter stupidity.  The third strategy, on the other hand, is likely to be highly successful when implemented right.

One of the most effective ways a rationalist can exploit the intellectual incompetence of non-rationalists--which can have the benefit of emotionally incapacitating them in the process--is by taking advantage of their desires to be seen as rational.  Very few people, if anyone at all, truly want to be seen as irrational, regardless of whether or not it is what their worldview and actions deserve.  By bringing attention to their fallacies and moral errors in the presence of those they look up to, one can cause their emotionalism to backfire and force them into a conflict of interests.

Those who have been outed as irrational around someone they hope views them positively are particularly susceptible to this form of manipulation.  If they will not back away from their logical or moral errors on their own, simply expose those errors in a way that psychologically or socially damages them and makes them reluctant to ever speak out of their stupidity ever again.  Use their own words and professed beliefs as knives that can be twisted until they relent from the pain.  If they do not abandon irrationality even then, one can always profit from the newfound stress in the target's relationships by turning their friends against them.

Even when someone plainly does not live in alignment with reason, they will still likely seek the reputation of someone who does.  It is this fact that the aforementioned strategy exploits.  Not every rationalist has a personality that embraces such harshness, and no one is irrational for choosing to not use every morally permissible manipulation tactic they can.  However, as long as slander and malice are not involved, there is nothing a rationalist should actually consider off limits when it comes to manipulating and silencing those who stand in the way of the truth.