Rationality when it's somewhat hard

A common related situation: unproductive group conversations.

Anecdotally, I find that saying something meta, like "This is one of those situations where people have trouble speaking up, and then we just end up doing it even if people have doubts," makes it easier.

I was in a very similar situation recently. But it was a small group, and I wasn't the only one who had doubts, which also made it easier to say, "I don't want to do this after all."

It's basically a matter of recognizing that you're holding back from doing something stupid, and to think of some good ways to counter any embarrassment/apprehension you may feel. You could-

*Immerse yourself in the sensation of knowing that you're protecting other people

*Convince yourself of your own correctness (if necessary, take advantage of any personality flaws, but try not to let them show, and only do it if there's an actual hazard)

*Do something to reduce your sense of social apprehension in general (go into a variety show, join a flash mob, something like that)

*Try to think of a solution that you think everyone will agree with.

A friend of mine was hosting a grad party at the end of highschool for us, a fairly close group of 15-17 people. The drinking part was good, but we were in a well-furnished garage with no open windows, using propane heater for additional warmth. It wasn't so much the concern of carbon monoxide, as it was the carbon monoxide in a room full of people who would be too drunk to notice in time. It was fairly well received and we all agreed to turn it off after fifteen minutes.

You aren't criticizing somebody's work. You're not telling people they can't do something. You're just telling them how to do it better.

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