[lovelearning]

Except he says things like:

> To a good first approximation, people simply don't change their minds about anything that matters.

> Let's start from the main domains where we know people don't change their minds — politics or religion.

Perhaps people familiar with his work interpret his statements differently. It's also understandable if this was a lecture for peers. But I'm a layperson whose only context is this article and the things he says sound absolute.

It's already an era of misinformation and low attention. We don't need content published in a way that may add to it. If there are conditions and nuances involved here, I think writers, especially scientists and professionals, and editors should include them and avoid saying anything that risks misinterpretation.

[Lewton]

How do you interpret “To a good first approximation” in this context?