John Dickerson

John Dickerson is a CBS senior national correspondent and Chief Political Analyst. He is also a Contributing Writer to The Atlantic and is co-host of the Slate Political Gabfest.

  • 07/13/2024: Asking ChatGPT for ways to engage in conversation.

    Is this the right way to write this query?
    Q: Someone is making a point to me with which I disagree, but I might be wrong and miss a chance to learn something. They are members of the human race, so I owe them grace and no motive-questioning at the start, but I don’t want to be snookered, and sometimes I might engage in conversations where people who participate in them act in bad faith for political, ego and attention-grabbing reasons. My patience, concentration and energy are not limitless. Time spent in an unproductive exchange has an opportunity cost. Please create a list of short instructions (please don’t go on) for how I should interpret their argument and maintain maximum humanity while at the same time exhibiting efficient critical thinking which would prompt me to duck out if the exchange has become stale or toxic. Please provide guidance for identifying such sour turns.
    ChatGPT
    1. Absolutely, John. Here’s a concise guide for interpreting arguments with both humanity and critical thinking:
      1. Listen Completely: Ensure you fully understand their argument before reacting.
      2. Clarify and Probe: Ask for details and examples to better grasp their points.
      3. Stay Open: Keep an open mind and avoid premature judgment.
      4. Maintain Respect: Engage politely and keep a calm tone.
      5. Assess Evidence: Critically evaluate the validity and sources of their claims.
      6. Focus on Arguments, Not People: Address the ideas, not the individual’s character.
      7. Spot Fallacies: Be alert for logical errors in their reasoning.
      8. Separate Emotion from Logic: Identify whether the argument relies on emotional appeals or facts.
      9. Delay Motive Analysis: Concentrate on the argument’s content before considering potential motives.
      10. Monitor Time: Be mindful of the conversation’s duration to avoid unproductive exchanges.
      11. Identify Sour Turns:
        • Repetition: The same points are being rehashed without new information.
        • Ad Hominem Attacks: The discussion shifts to personal attacks.
        • Straw Man Arguments: Misrepresenting your position to refute it easily.
        • Red Herrings: Introducing irrelevant topics to divert from the main issue.
        • Hostility: The tone becomes aggressive or disrespectful.
      12. Exit Gracefully: Politely end the conversation if it becomes repetitive, personal, or unproductive.

      This approach ensures a balanced, respectful, and efficient engagement while recognizing when to step away from a futile discussion.

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  • 03/01/2023: New words from Dictionary.com that I like

    rage farming noun. Informal. the tactic of intentionally provoking political opponents, typically by posting inflammatory content on social media, in order to elicit angry responses and thus high engagement or widespread exposure for the original poster. 📝 This term was coined in 2022 (in the form rage farmed) by investigative reporter John Scott-Railton. Read about some other terms for […]

  • 02/27/2023: How to solve the work week.

    From Business Insider: “I do ‘Bare Minimum Mondays’ at work.” The TikTok creator and startup founder Marisa Jo Mayes says it helps her beat the “Sunday scaries” and avoid burnout — and it has completely changed her life. Find out more. If enough TikTok influencers can work really hard to brand not working at all […]

  • 02/25/2023: We Still Smoke the Water Pipe

    I found a quote in one of my notebooks from the second year of the Iraq war (3/20/2005). “Life goes on,” Hayawi says. “We are in the middle of a war, and we still smoke the water pipe.” This feels like a universal message to me. After some work in the shop with the search […]

  • 02/25/2023: A Conversation with Tim Frye on what's changed since the invasion of Ukraine

    I talked to Timothy Frye, the Marshall D. Shulman professor of post-Soviet foreign policy at Columbia University, for “CBS News Prime Time” about how Russia’s war in Ukraine has changed global energy, the economy and politics.    

  • 01/08/2023: House GOP Learned How to Govern

  • 12/14/2022: Did someone have inside information?

    60 seconds before CPI number came out there was significant trading activity: Bloomberg thinks someone got the news!

  • 12/14/2022: Reality and columnists are two different things.

    “The world is much worse than it would have been had the virus not emerged, and that’s not the fault of columnists you disagree with.” Matt Yglesias.

  • 12/13/2022: Spies Just like us.

    The Ruskies next door. Our story on it on CBS News Prime Time can be found here.

  • 12/13/2022: Sam Bankman Fried not instilling confidence.

    “Like I, like, kind of vaguely knew, kind of, sort of maybe, um, on a qualitative level what was going on.” — Sam Bankman Fried on Unusual Whales podcast on movement of customer funds from FTX to Alameda without permission. via Dealbook

  • 01/01/1970: Meetings can be a black hole that sucks your soul from your body. Priya Parker describes how to make them more intentional.

    I have long been obsessed with intention in even the mundane tasks in life. Priya Parker has put intention into gatherings and meetings. I talked to her about her book and her ideas on Prime Time 3/16/23 as a part of our shifting workplace special. We wanted to talk to her because if the workplace […]