Carl Braun on communicating like a grown-up (2016)
<i>Assume good motives</i> (often called <i>assume good faith</i> on HN) is an excellent standard to follow with one proviso: It can be taken too far.<p>If you don't know their motives, assume good motives or good faith. But if they explicitly tell you they have hostile motives or the preponderance of the evidence suggests such, continuing to assume good faith amounts to cutting your own throat.