It's hard to open cold with a controversial take to a bunch of strangers. And the room is always cold on X or in a one-off blog post. Just like comedy, half the battle of winning over the audience comes from a solid introduction, good timing, and a broad smile to warm the room. You can have great material, but if the vibe is off, good luck landing a laugh.

The stream I did on Monday with ThePrimeagen and TJ DeVries illustrates this to a T. Not only was the stream warm and in a good mood from spending time with ThePrimeagen first (who wouldn't be!), but the pair immediately elevated that spirit further by being such welcoming and gracious hosts. Thereby signaling to their audience that who they were about to hear would be worth listening to with an open mind.

That's the kind of introduction that makes all the difference as to whether someone is willing to grant you the grace of charitable listening -- or whether they'll immediately set their defenses to Max Stranger Skepticism.

I've been making many of my main arguments for years. Some for decades, even. And I know that many in that stream had probably heard some of them before, and dismissed them out of hand, because we hadn't established a rapport that would warrant an open mind. 

That's where writing just can't compete with a podcast or a stream. Putting a face, a voice, and a vibe to the argument absolutely changes its tone, and in turn, the emotions it evokes. And that's what most people go off on. Those emotions.

I sometimes do struggle with that. Thinking that the strength of an argument should be gauged purely by its logic or at least its rhetoric. But I've really come to appreciate the value of set and setting. Of a warm introduction. Of establishing a rapport.

We might not all become friends on the internet, but we needn't be strangers either. And the best way to move on from being strangers is by having others vouch for your earnestness. Thanks for doing that, ThePrimeagen and TJ DeVries ✌️