# I Pit Magiver

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-magiver/937851>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [March 13, 2021, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-magiver/937851 "2021-03-13T21:55:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 271

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**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-magiver/937851/271 "2025-09-23T10:10:07Z")

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> [@MrDibble](#):
>
> > [@wolfpup](#):
> >
> > I refer you to Steven Pinker
> 
> Please don’t. Not if you want me to take anything you say seriously. Try Hans Rosling instead, he at least brought the receipts..
> 
> And even then, I’m not convinced. [Graeber said it better than I could, though.](https://imgur.com/6BtzzZi)

I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t cut off my quotes to remove context. You actually cut this one off in mid-word! I don’t claim that Steven Pinker is the ultimate arbiter of everything. What I actually said was:

> For a far more optimistic and charitable view, I refer you to Steven Pinker’s important book _The Better Angels of Our Nature_ . Think, for instance, of dealing with the customer service of your various utility providers. Do they hate you, or is what you’re experiencing just the consequence of the stupidity of the agents and their managers (and, I’d say, overwhelmingly due to the stupidity of the managers who dictate things like training and empowerment).

As for Graeber, if you want to put David Graeber up against Steven Pinker, that’s on you. Good luck with that.

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