tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28448941090223983412024-02-10T13:38:06.363-05:00Thought ThroughInside the mind of Jordan PineJordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comBlogger271125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-16984555911946111842024-02-10T13:32:00.007-05:002024-02-10T13:37:12.551-05:00Strong Opinions, Weakly Held<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“Since the mid-1980s, my mantra for this process is 'strong opinions, weakly held.' Allow your intuition to guide you to a conclusion, no matter how imperfect — this is the 'strong opinion' part. Then – and this is the 'weakly held' part – prove yourself wrong. Engage in creative doubt. Look for information that doesn’t fit, or indicators that pointing in an entirely different direction. Eventually your intuition will kick in and a new hypothesis will emerge out of the rubble, ready to be ruthlessly torn apart once again.”</b></span></p><p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- <a href="https://saffo.com/02008/07/26/strong-opinions-weakly-held/"><u>Paul Saffo</u></a></b></span></p></blockquote>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-27596778840106483462023-11-06T17:49:00.012-05:002023-11-06T17:57:43.303-05:00Seek Work That Compounds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2fE1gCARyh-b9QbnOnd9l6CLS-rO67GrikKpiYNjRnl84ZJtTviEw2TO9I4_thYtZykEXuHtd0YSPGRC8DfBJXBValX8WySikgjLWC9WvP-SUGO9tm-esl5nHrO1-rHak2viQpHjISA/s320/Paulgraham_240x320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2fE1gCARyh-b9QbnOnd9l6CLS-rO67GrikKpiYNjRnl84ZJtTviEw2TO9I4_thYtZykEXuHtd0YSPGRC8DfBJXBValX8WySikgjLWC9WvP-SUGO9tm-esl5nHrO1-rHak2viQpHjISA/s0/Paulgraham_240x320.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“Are there general rules for finding situations with superlinear returns? The most obvious one is to <mark>seek work that compounds</mark>.</b></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“There are two ways work can compound. It can compound directly, in the sense that doing well in one cycle causes you to do better in the next. That happens for example when you're building infrastructure, or growing an audience or brand. Or work can compound by teaching you, since learning compounds. This second case is an interesting one because you may feel you're doing badly as it's happening. <mark>You may be failing to achieve your immediate goal. But if you're learning a lot, then you're getting exponential growth nonetheless.</mark></b></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“This is one reason Silicon Valley is so tolerant of failure. People in Silicon Valley aren't blindly tolerant of failure. They'll only continue to bet on you if you're learning from your failures. But if you are, you are in fact a good bet: <mark>maybe your company didn't grow the way you wanted, but you yourself have, and that should yield results eventually</mark>.</b></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“Indeed, the forms of exponential growth that don't consist of learning are so often intermixed with it that we should probably treat this as the rule rather than the exception. Which yields another heuristic: <mark>always be learning.</mark> If you're not learning, you're probably not on a path that leads to superlinear returns.</b></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“But don't overoptimize what you're learning. <mark>Don't limit yourself to learning things that are already known to be valuable.</mark> You're learning; you don't know for sure yet what's going to be valuable, and if you're too strict you'll lop off the outliers.”</b></span></p><br>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“There are many variables that affect how good your work is, and if you want to be an outlier you need to get nearly all of them right. For example, <mark>to do something exceptionally well, you have to be interested in it. Mere diligence is not enough.</mark> So in a world with superlinear returns, it's even more valuable to know what you're interested in, and to find ways to work on it.”</b></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“It will also be important to choose work that suits your circumstances. For example, if there's a kind of <mark>work that inherently requires a huge expenditure of time and energy</mark>, it will be increasingly valuable to do it when you're young and don't yet have children.”</b></span></p>
<p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- Paul Graham, <a href="http://paulgraham.com/superlinear.html" target="_blank"><i><u>Superlinear Returns</u></i></a></b></span></p>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-48157502919948459612023-11-06T17:41:00.007-05:002023-11-06T17:53:35.655-05:00The Recipe for Doing Great Work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2fE1gCARyh-b9QbnOnd9l6CLS-rO67GrikKpiYNjRnl84ZJtTviEw2TO9I4_thYtZykEXuHtd0YSPGRC8DfBJXBValX8WySikgjLWC9WvP-SUGO9tm-esl5nHrO1-rHak2viQpHjISA/s320/Paulgraham_240x320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2fE1gCARyh-b9QbnOnd9l6CLS-rO67GrikKpiYNjRnl84ZJtTviEw2TO9I4_thYtZykEXuHtd0YSPGRC8DfBJXBValX8WySikgjLWC9WvP-SUGO9tm-esl5nHrO1-rHak2viQpHjISA/s0/Paulgraham_240x320.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“There's a surprising amount of technique to doing great work. It's not just a matter of trying hard. I'm going to take a shot giving a recipe...
<ol>
<li>Choose work you have a natural aptitude for and a deep interest in.</li>
<li>Develop a habit of working on your own projects; it doesn't matter what they are so long as you find them excitingly ambitious.</li>
<li> Work as hard as you can without burning out, and this will eventually bring you to one of the frontiers of knowledge. These look smooth from a distance, but up close they're full of gaps. Notice and explore such gaps, and if you're lucky one will expand into a whole new field.</li>
<li>Take as much risk as you can afford; if you're not failing occasionally you're probably being too conservative.</li>
<li>Seek out the best colleagues. Develop good taste and learn from the best examples.</li>
<li>Be honest, especially with yourself.</li>
<li>Exercise and eat and sleep well and avoid the more dangerous drugs.</li>
<li>When in doubt, follow your curiosity. It never lies, and it knows more than you do about what's worth paying attention to.</ol>
“And there is of course one other thing you need: to be lucky. Luck is always a factor, but it's even more of a factor when you're working on your own rather than as part of an organization. And though there are some valid aphorisms about luck being where preparedness meets opportunity and so on, there's also a component of true chance that you can't do anything about. The solution is to take multiple shots. Which is another reason to start taking risks early.”</b></span></p>
<p></p><p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- Paul Graham, <a href="http://paulgraham.com/superlinear.html" target="_blank"><i><u>Superlinear Returns</u></i></a></b></span></p>
<p>See also: <a href="https://www.paulgraham.com/greatwork.html" target="_blank"><i><u>How To Do Great Work</u></i></a></p>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-43455108407347210482023-09-19T17:26:00.000-04:002023-11-06T17:33:25.910-05:00HiPPO Decision Making<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQO_DNn3s_IsC5goCaBmS5jieKR_Uo-laNXe03v-7B-31m4y91UAtKW6OT62yjJgrcOQlJKXcgafH1qzaJCqp0uvLYD8jUzD8GCWYIWjP52qvsItKGQgWgoZz2yF4BP70vkZiUGRHoEH-fysDfB3Uq5Ut0Gpr3MPh7-j__u7Fhd1vAVEd9Cnvbo9euOGM/s4117/hippo.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="2745" data-original-width="4117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQO_DNn3s_IsC5goCaBmS5jieKR_Uo-laNXe03v-7B-31m4y91UAtKW6OT62yjJgrcOQlJKXcgafH1qzaJCqp0uvLYD8jUzD8GCWYIWjP52qvsItKGQgWgoZz2yF4BP70vkZiUGRHoEH-fysDfB3Uq5Ut0Gpr3MPh7-j__u7Fhd1vAVEd9Cnvbo9euOGM/s400/hippo.jpg"/></a></div>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“A/B enthusiasts...have a derisive term to describe a decision-making system that fails to put data at its heart: HiPPO — 'highest-paid person's opinion' ...</b></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“Tech circles are rife with stories of the clueless boss who almost killed a project because of a 'mere opinion.'”</b></span></p></blockquote>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Source: “<a href="https://www.wired.com/2012/04/ff-abtesting/" target="_blank"><u>The A/B Test: Inside the Technology That's Changing the Rules of Business</u></a>,” <i>Wired</i>, 4/25/2012</span></p>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-86805257678435513832023-08-20T17:29:00.020-04:002023-11-06T17:34:06.998-05:00The Wisdom of Small Bets<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesOSuLAva_EJW4EqOykNGuZt-fMfRe9iY1gnDt8vFpZVfBUkBCXGu9CjaPtX18DqKp0DGlPIyPy_vAayjKOLQjk33R5h7Sntek301WTWBqiWh3-vFO-00EMbi5zqVnwGFg1Gr5ThwNcsi8EGYJFy5N75KM-yb1OOMbNDM6urgXddd4aYd2x_WCbw4G28/s1000/jamesclear.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesOSuLAva_EJW4EqOykNGuZt-fMfRe9iY1gnDt8vFpZVfBUkBCXGu9CjaPtX18DqKp0DGlPIyPy_vAayjKOLQjk33R5h7Sntek301WTWBqiWh3-vFO-00EMbi5zqVnwGFg1Gr5ThwNcsi8EGYJFy5N75KM-yb1OOMbNDM6urgXddd4aYd2x_WCbw4G28/s400/jamesclear.jpg"/></a></div>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“When nothing is working, explore and make a lot of small bets.<br><br>“After something starts working, double down on what works best.<br><br>“When that stops working, explore and make a lot of small bets again.”</b></span></p><p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- <a href="https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/august-17-2023" target="_blank"><u>James Clear</u></a></b></span></p></blockquote>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-65760755356565734002023-04-30T17:16:00.010-04:002023-11-06T17:20:22.028-05:00A Continuing Exploration of Mysteries<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsva0mmnUjmsqRkprdWi3pSQ8V2mA4xQXWhG3TpVEVNkHwQx1TsboTr5DbPGAM73Q_sLFUa_AKUhyc5sSpsr5fYepfoMz5skbCBsG5sEDolRfW-ACapV1pyjLFzHtiW4W2Po2Df8J-d5VjIAlCCkvzvgaGAzW1_S7N1-kc-28fttabkHR9Kh8qorVwEQs/s1280/freemandyson.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsva0mmnUjmsqRkprdWi3pSQ8V2mA4xQXWhG3TpVEVNkHwQx1TsboTr5DbPGAM73Q_sLFUa_AKUhyc5sSpsr5fYepfoMz5skbCBsG5sEDolRfW-ACapV1pyjLFzHtiW4W2Po2Df8J-d5VjIAlCCkvzvgaGAzW1_S7N1-kc-28fttabkHR9Kh8qorVwEQs/s400/freemandyson.jpg"/></a></div>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“The public has a distorted view of science because children are taught in school that science is a collection of firmly established truths. In fact, science is not a collection of truths. It is a continuing exploration of mysteries.”</b></span></p><p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- Freeman Dyson</b></span></p></blockquote>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-61355331040132211892022-12-29T17:13:00.001-05:002023-11-06T17:20:53.721-05:00King Lear's Advice<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ryXg03_7Qo9IsEqM0QnGBj5g_9SoeNNKvQxkVKRqa7RLWiTka2t1MD_p_yQ3Bg8MYbpOcD9rsV-moyKayFG9EOPmcDZ5NEbOqQP701zHLq2jzmAlo1rK2-Xk2yooKriM1KqIAIRPHNx0mbKABDbZyDwIAWtuaI_Kx4-rN9bwkHxMUJQZO6HZhyphenhyphenn5_cQ/s1002/kinglear.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="1002" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ryXg03_7Qo9IsEqM0QnGBj5g_9SoeNNKvQxkVKRqa7RLWiTka2t1MD_p_yQ3Bg8MYbpOcD9rsV-moyKayFG9EOPmcDZ5NEbOqQP701zHLq2jzmAlo1rK2-Xk2yooKriM1KqIAIRPHNx0mbKABDbZyDwIAWtuaI_Kx4-rN9bwkHxMUJQZO6HZhyphenhyphenn5_cQ/s320/kinglear.jpg"/></a></div>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“Have more than you show, speak less than you know.”</b></span></p><p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- Shakespeare, <i>King Lear</i></b></span></p></blockquote>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-48001563868485798062022-10-23T19:09:00.003-04:002022-10-23T19:11:28.302-04:00The Perils of Taking the Lead<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcj_CjbeVYLvCwKN_gObDc_K1SlH90Asau-vpnhMxV853A7Q7r78gTDm7MgEtOJflT3Wkv_dCVYGTXlbVx-KoB8Dg6lU6OZehJHPjUjZMLX7i8lXMJj2HPNFbUn6QyPtIjCCJXwrbrZMhP_IXu6ao_Cl5ijLYShDQTj_oEkwlHqFJABQ-wplikk0s-/s1337/Portrait_of_Niccol%C3%B2_Machiavelli_by_Santi_di_Tito.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="1337" data-original-width="1240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcj_CjbeVYLvCwKN_gObDc_K1SlH90Asau-vpnhMxV853A7Q7r78gTDm7MgEtOJflT3Wkv_dCVYGTXlbVx-KoB8Dg6lU6OZehJHPjUjZMLX7i8lXMJj2HPNFbUn6QyPtIjCCJXwrbrZMhP_IXu6ao_Cl5ijLYShDQTj_oEkwlHqFJABQ-wplikk0s-/s320/Portrait_of_Niccol%C3%B2_Machiavelli_by_Santi_di_Tito.jpg"/></a></div>
<blockquote><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things; because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new.”</b></span></p><p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, <i>The Prince</i></b></span></blockquote>
<p>Commenting on this 500-year-old bit of wisdom, J. Storrs Hall, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Where-Flying-Car-Storrs-Hall/dp/1953953182" target="_blank"><i><u>Where Is My Flying Car?</u></i></a>, writes:</p>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“It still holds true today as much as it did in Renaissance Italy. Any time there is a stratification in a given field, it could be money, it could be political power, it could even be merely accrued experience and influence therefrom – there will be both incentive and opportunity for those at the top to oppose and thwart attempts to change the way things are done.”</blockquote>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-31488998412037145652022-09-12T17:05:00.002-04:002024-02-10T13:28:32.304-05:00The Fear of Social Death<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8X7GqsIVB-fgHmf0U8NZGRLxxY5e899CZzXHndHdulQu-QqLVJmPPOwLyCQZxWvKfmuAZA_NqfSILeYRwR_5ii4DkxOdm_fYRBUj3BAcUWXZ5fjlkImY5YDMI2DCtpylKJoaINpoFQDJU5Sz4npk3RQKH8f31BNUUfnQHt1f9fQkvlGyFTskwqvVpCJM/s653/brookeharrington.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="653" data-original-width="469" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8X7GqsIVB-fgHmf0U8NZGRLxxY5e899CZzXHndHdulQu-QqLVJmPPOwLyCQZxWvKfmuAZA_NqfSILeYRwR_5ii4DkxOdm_fYRBUj3BAcUWXZ5fjlkImY5YDMI2DCtpylKJoaINpoFQDJU5Sz4npk3RQKH8f31BNUUfnQHt1f9fQkvlGyFTskwqvVpCJM/s400/brookeharrington.jpg"/></a></div>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“If there was an E=MC2 of sociology, it would be that the fear of social death is greater than the fear of physical death.”</b></span></p><p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- Brooke Harrington, sociologist</b></span></p></blockquote>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-32543398672450213302022-06-30T17:09:00.000-04:002023-11-06T17:15:19.290-05:00Just Laws are Rooted in Eternal/Natural Laws
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5bQOdUey2awuQF8ysDwIu0gfnx2skI5A5r-DQp1STERUUlhT5UzuymRAGHXcnW7GEWwS5fAL36lWQ4t5sQG8i_L2hfwm_KYCSr1HHHeAOaEIRzC1u7l0YDzCv439jAIhXEv4Sk448snBVMO4Gx5cDJ1QTu7yOp80kQi_7fy8djAfA2lKdJRLn9-XwN_8/s1440/mlk.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5bQOdUey2awuQF8ysDwIu0gfnx2skI5A5r-DQp1STERUUlhT5UzuymRAGHXcnW7GEWwS5fAL36lWQ4t5sQG8i_L2hfwm_KYCSr1HHHeAOaEIRzC1u7l0YDzCv439jAIhXEv4Sk448snBVMO4Gx5cDJ1QTu7yOp80kQi_7fy8djAfA2lKdJRLn9-XwN_8/s320/mlk.jpg"/></a></div>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law.”</b></span></p><p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., <i>Letter from Birmingham Jail</i></b></span></p></blockquote>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-81715730134651428412022-04-30T11:21:00.005-04:002022-04-30T11:21:37.060-04:00Science Follows Politics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9opQUKIFtV6HusuqTqMKdFrjiXZLiEHEOZNlI4J2xSC2qhjwxkyTIDlsuh1A-W_08jTAS8X1ywvoDCmTncczp4WXwEGx_nljv1vEYi3ZCs3tBWuhSToHj1NwOdeTfM3tlaILrOaesOPIKBEPHghGuSSiSvoZJzf4ozNp_Uaw0akMBqnz03k3QtTu3/s393/eugyppius.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="393" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9opQUKIFtV6HusuqTqMKdFrjiXZLiEHEOZNlI4J2xSC2qhjwxkyTIDlsuh1A-W_08jTAS8X1ywvoDCmTncczp4WXwEGx_nljv1vEYi3ZCs3tBWuhSToHj1NwOdeTfM3tlaILrOaesOPIKBEPHghGuSSiSvoZJzf4ozNp_Uaw0akMBqnz03k3QtTu3/w200-h200/eugyppius.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“Science isn’t some objective reasonable force outside of politics. Scientists spend most of their careers chasing government grant funding, and fighting for appointments and promotions in government-funded university systems. Science follows politics, and nobody knows this as much as the disingenuous politicians who claim that their policies are subordinate to scientific findings.”</b></span></p><p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- <a href="https://www.eugyppius.com/p/following-the-science-is-impossible" target="_blank"><u>Eugyppius</u></a></b></span></p></blockquote>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-29387867128693553442022-04-07T11:56:00.014-04:002023-11-06T17:37:30.917-05:00Every Language is a Story about People<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6OgpEouZmoY5JZhZoBcgpKd1US6d1tIVvsfYFd2aR0Av-_OBFFeVkapKvP5mj3TAOnShpk3yU2revCCqpZRJvOe7qGc70VpK4Va1h0pLv7koKDskr6He-O026tDGPbxnd3O8BWxRev1hyP1oXtlnwO8nTRQ1RBs2Gj79zlgnWm3flBZhHDuo_Y7v/s1121/vaughnsmith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="896" data-original-width="1121" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6OgpEouZmoY5JZhZoBcgpKd1US6d1tIVvsfYFd2aR0Av-_OBFFeVkapKvP5mj3TAOnShpk3yU2revCCqpZRJvOe7qGc70VpK4Va1h0pLv7koKDskr6He-O026tDGPbxnd3O8BWxRev1hyP1oXtlnwO8nTRQ1RBs2Gj79zlgnWm3flBZhHDuo_Y7v/s320/vaughnsmith.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">“For Vaughn, <b>every language is really a story about the people</b> it connected him to.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">“He learned American Sign Language from Gallaudet University students at a club called Tracks, which had a dance floor known for its vibrations.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">“He picked up some Japanese. from the staff at a restaurant where he volunteered to clean the fish tank once a week.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">“When his niece liked the way the word chicken sounded in Salish., they started studying it together, befriended leaders of the language school on the Flathead Indian Reservation and road-tripped to Arlee, Mont., twice.”</span></p></blockquote>
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/interactive/2022/multilingual-hyperpolyglot-brain-languages/" target="_blank">"<u>The remarkable brain of a carpet cleaner who speaks 24 languages</u></a>," <i>The Washington Post</i>, 4/5/2022</p>
Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-31578835186895076642022-04-03T12:17:00.005-04:002022-04-03T12:17:38.429-04:00Believe in Logic, Not Authorities<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUycYhvPOh7PbFfEY_9f76YJvtmgC3Hea8DHm99Eu8YIYMIZWPFSksvHD4OJNHj0r0QpGH4ZrQSbkviCZ91wOYPqMeguKGsDZk1Bk9lIGZAKItzlklaIfkpcG45witPxEuTnDMe5b3jBY/s748/feynman.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUycYhvPOh7PbFfEY_9f76YJvtmgC3Hea8DHm99Eu8YIYMIZWPFSksvHD4OJNHj0r0QpGH4ZrQSbkviCZ91wOYPqMeguKGsDZk1Bk9lIGZAKItzlklaIfkpcG45witPxEuTnDMe5b3jBY/s400/feynman.jpg" /></a></div>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“You should, in science, believe logic and arguments, carefully drawn, and not authorities.”</b></span></p><p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- Richard Feynman</b></span></p></blockquote>
<p>(HT: Shane Parrish of <a href="https://fs.blog/brain-food/april-3-2022/" target="_blank"><u>Farnam Street</u></a>)</p>
Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-44422878668606451492022-03-08T10:16:00.005-05:002022-03-08T10:17:48.062-05:00Science is a Way of Thinking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHIIbHiUQk7Xwod1rM_8hJRqTwljhdUekLAVdD-JrT3lY4jVyzmXUzhJgT-f0tyYy216ntcjJbycycq-BFyp9THKzbz39gTOGsVZeDP1yc1BypiSzf5BKWftTTlXnmCoKAIy5veanoDG_kyENJtc57fyOf_L_2PYq9T1gd_Jo0IHaQQl-J7suOaEtR=s541" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="424" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHIIbHiUQk7Xwod1rM_8hJRqTwljhdUekLAVdD-JrT3lY4jVyzmXUzhJgT-f0tyYy216ntcjJbycycq-BFyp9THKzbz39gTOGsVZeDP1yc1BypiSzf5BKWftTTlXnmCoKAIy5veanoDG_kyENJtc57fyOf_L_2PYq9T1gd_Jo0IHaQQl-J7suOaEtR=s320" width="251" /></a></div>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.”</b></span></p><p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- Carl Sagan</b></span></p></blockquote>
<p>Another rebuke of the idea that there is such a thing as 'settled science.' More rebukes <a href="http://www.jordanpine.com/2021/09/good-science-is-skeptical-science.html"><u>here</u></a>.</p>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-39082635676923706632022-03-08T10:09:00.009-05:002022-03-08T10:11:33.401-05:00Understand the Trunk & the Branches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZAuoKDTe4wI9_gBuDuxO4tcIf9m3y2yZxLK0i0VWyhIzCL-dVpbOJqERIMImiuywgzSgYAJVoXb6Wfziiubf4uR_JuzVXgILculHOmwNb90K3tDytKx1Gpwx1gaXd4DWlj7fv04aPmTLTIlrilXzU8PQk1s-yj3GPeShHPX_dnvogGzBPUZEHWyye=s416" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="416" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZAuoKDTe4wI9_gBuDuxO4tcIf9m3y2yZxLK0i0VWyhIzCL-dVpbOJqERIMImiuywgzSgYAJVoXb6Wfziiubf4uR_JuzVXgILculHOmwNb90K3tDytKx1Gpwx1gaXd4DWlj7fv04aPmTLTIlrilXzU8PQk1s-yj3GPeShHPX_dnvogGzBPUZEHWyye=s320" width="320" /></a></div>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“One bit of advice: It is important to view knowledge as sort of a semantic tree. Make sure you understand the fundamental principles — i.e. the trunk and big branches — before you get into the leaves/details, or there is nothing for them to hang on to.”</b></span></p>
<p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- Elon Musk</b></span></p><p></p></blockquote>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-47242850255086383512022-03-08T10:00:00.006-05:002022-03-08T10:03:13.138-05:00The Real Sin is Taking a Long Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqQwEo94gVWd6c37y0YD4E2qOLVSZ3z6JSGQ0qRxAjolIZB56Q9r-FTa1et6-PEpn-WoX5LntVWj-fBWUt3YBWcl5wNGdN0T7ZKMdtgSjG25YPu45T3x87GhkvNsx3l-hQxyoLGsEQw6bjalp-ucqMZMkZHEud_Y0Kt_YEQh43GdAyXE_Rp-CAChEl=s2933" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2933" data-original-width="2587" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqQwEo94gVWd6c37y0YD4E2qOLVSZ3z6JSGQ0qRxAjolIZB56Q9r-FTa1et6-PEpn-WoX5LntVWj-fBWUt3YBWcl5wNGdN0T7ZKMdtgSjG25YPu45T3x87GhkvNsx3l-hQxyoLGsEQw6bjalp-ucqMZMkZHEud_Y0Kt_YEQh43GdAyXE_Rp-CAChEl=s320" width="282" /></a></div>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“It’s not a sin to not get the deal ... It’s a sin to take a long time to not get the deal.”</b></span></p>
<p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- Chris Voss, "<a href="https://blog.blackswanltd.com/the-edge/negotiation-training-the-7-deadly-sins-of-negotiation" target="_blank">The 7 Deadly Sins of Negotiation</a>"</b></span></p><p></p></blockquote>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-69912882143679896242022-02-24T08:42:00.003-05:002022-02-24T08:46:30.408-05:00The Wise are Mightier than the Strong<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVab1u9cyVDUt1bLSQoAJXYghVLyANvbU32RXmxbS6a3zxFHU-l05tQwhWb5Du5uuvQCk1vb-fjclNgr4uVfOQ8O3-wkM765NaAZNZtVMfUHvImSvscYntvIFAxI3wfZrdNwSEj6hIr0_JKjkdgS8Z6VCqQTYFb8qxc2FciOXUWsLmAKXWgw5spz3E=s851" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="851" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVab1u9cyVDUt1bLSQoAJXYghVLyANvbU32RXmxbS6a3zxFHU-l05tQwhWb5Du5uuvQCk1vb-fjclNgr4uVfOQ8O3-wkM765NaAZNZtVMfUHvImSvscYntvIFAxI3wfZrdNwSEj6hIr0_JKjkdgS8Z6VCqQTYFb8qxc2FciOXUWsLmAKXWgw5spz3E=s320" width="320" /></a></div>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“The wise are mightier than the strong, and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger.”</b></span></p>
<p></p><p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- King Solomon, Proverbs 24:5 (NLT)</b></span></p></blockquote>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-90243520131052814872022-02-20T19:59:00.016-05:002022-02-20T20:12:00.978-05:00Wisdom is Wasted on the Old<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4eZGi0TKQ2v5EMcL5vNvz6tWlz3ZVaBaZ8h2kHlJ5kXQFyrk6Sp5z68b7pLTbxyMnrlZfHaAp43t9Q6-VnJ73MM-Pr0tAtjC8oBPEnMNa8t7LTG8OPlIDAkmNuKR6XEOZYgUSX7OvPQxOEbpQ7UztexsQX0X0Hu7dZ4-5GqptLCMZIlksCkIiMCoH=s800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4eZGi0TKQ2v5EMcL5vNvz6tWlz3ZVaBaZ8h2kHlJ5kXQFyrk6Sp5z68b7pLTbxyMnrlZfHaAp43t9Q6-VnJ73MM-Pr0tAtjC8oBPEnMNa8t7LTG8OPlIDAkmNuKR6XEOZYgUSX7OvPQxOEbpQ7UztexsQX0X0Hu7dZ4-5GqptLCMZIlksCkIiMCoH=s320" width="320" /></a></div>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“People say youth is wasted on the young. I disagree. I believe wisdom is wasted on the old. All you can do is give it away, and the people you love the most don’t want it.”</b></span></p>
<p></p><p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- AJ Khubani, Founder & CEO of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telebrands" target="_blank">Telebrands</a></b></span></p></blockquote>
<P>AJ texted Bill and me this quote today. He had told us a version when we visited him yesterday in Miami. It gave us pause for thought, and we were still discussing its implications this afternoon.</p>
<p>AJ had spoken to us about his history of being taken in by charlatans. He expressed frustration that one of his children was repeating his mistakes, yet wouldn't listen to good advice. He had all the wisdom of decades of experience to give away, but one of the people he cared most about in this world wouldn't receive his gift.</p>
<p>So we sat there and accepted the gift instead.</p>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-77921247047789796072022-02-06T14:16:00.003-05:002022-02-06T14:16:57.469-05:00Being Rich is Like Being Food Secure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7584Q1Q2_fbSNLdtgpTGxCXRUtdWasGujHdjXM5kh5F2spT_BhZf_6JCwhhHL9bUmgy7fCZ8OYQSqv_eo5L_yKYitBqmWhEHF6fYqfwfotzAvxkkwjsByK7hQPlmjz8OL6PgEq0jmhywcHWyWI07smAfCd37rYils2GixOioieD24pYmUhHYBLISY=s3264" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7584Q1Q2_fbSNLdtgpTGxCXRUtdWasGujHdjXM5kh5F2spT_BhZf_6JCwhhHL9bUmgy7fCZ8OYQSqv_eo5L_yKYitBqmWhEHF6fYqfwfotzAvxkkwjsByK7hQPlmjz8OL6PgEq0jmhywcHWyWI07smAfCd37rYils2GixOioieD24pYmUhHYBLISY=s320" width="240" /></a></div>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“For Americans and others like us fortunate enough to live in wealthy countries, being rich is like having more food than you need...The sad fact is that billions of people around the globe are food insecure. This means the main focus of their life is escaping starvation.”</b></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“My point of this parallel is that being rich is equivalent to being food secure, except with money. When you’re food secure and hungry, you go to the kitchen and eat. When you’re rich, and you need money, you go to the bank get money. After a while, you rarely give it much thought, because there’s always more than enough, so why waste your time thinking about it?</b></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“That’s where being wealthy begins and ends. It has no meaning other than that. Granted, being rich and never having to worry about money is a big deal, but it doesn’t mean more than the lack of worrying. Being rich doesn’t mean you’re any smarter, savvier or superior to anyone else. It just means you’re rich.”</b></span></p>
<p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- Steve Siebold, <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Secrets-Self-Made-Millionaires-Teach-Their/dp/0996516921/" target="_blank"><i>Secrets Self-Made Millionaires Teach Their Kids</i></a></b></span></p><p></p></blockquote>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-17480118505084003912021-11-21T10:33:00.010-05:002021-11-21T11:14:44.697-05:00You Need to Read to Think Well<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2fE1gCARyh-b9QbnOnd9l6CLS-rO67GrikKpiYNjRnl84ZJtTviEw2TO9I4_thYtZykEXuHtd0YSPGRC8DfBJXBValX8WySikgjLWC9WvP-SUGO9tm-esl5nHrO1-rHak2viQpHjISA/s320/Paulgraham_240x320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2fE1gCARyh-b9QbnOnd9l6CLS-rO67GrikKpiYNjRnl84ZJtTviEw2TO9I4_thYtZykEXuHtd0YSPGRC8DfBJXBValX8WySikgjLWC9WvP-SUGO9tm-esl5nHrO1-rHak2viQpHjISA/s0/Paulgraham_240x320.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“You can't replace reading with other sources of information like videos, because you need to read in order to write well, and you need to write in order to think well.”</b></span></p>
<p></p><p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- <a href="http://paulgraham.com/" target="_blank">Paul Graham</a></b></span></p><p></p></blockquote>
<p>“Writing is often the process by which you realize that you do not understand what you are talking about,” adds <a href="https://fs.blog/about/" target="_blank">Farnam Street's Shane Parrish</a>.</p>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-63151281491923681102021-11-21T07:57:00.020-05:002021-11-21T11:16:44.078-05:00Shy Away from Small Risks & You Embrace Big Risk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVeML7f27_yKOKNy-lNJVcEbtBkcM-kx6-l2dFUJO534kyLQWmDZ2DAknCiDqCJSe_WB2I7rfUbUcrNdqUBBYS4eJLiR-u6W9HiCA4aoxa-5Hgu3XnqU51sKfNIuVkYcy2lsSqkGheYQ/s1200/taleb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="875" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVeML7f27_yKOKNy-lNJVcEbtBkcM-kx6-l2dFUJO534kyLQWmDZ2DAknCiDqCJSe_WB2I7rfUbUcrNdqUBBYS4eJLiR-u6W9HiCA4aoxa-5Hgu3XnqU51sKfNIuVkYcy2lsSqkGheYQ/s320/taleb.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“Most people don’t understand how to handle uncertainty. They shy away from small risks, and without realizing it, they embrace the big, big risk. Businessmen who are consistently successful have the exact opposite attitude: Make all the mistakes you want, just make sure you’re going to be there tomorrow.”</b></span></p>
<p></p><p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- <a href="https://fooledbyrandomness.com/" target="_blank">Nassim Taleb</a></b></span></p><p></p></blockquote>
<p>(Source: <i><a href="https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/money/a19181300/nassim-nicholas-taleb-money-advice/" target="_blank"><i>Esquire</i></a></i>)</p>
<p>Taleb is talking about traders who blow up. But I see wisdom here for my business as well.</p>
<p>For us, the small risk is investing in one's own projects. It can be quite costly to develop a product, create a commercial for that product and then fund the market testing. Since only about one in 10 projets succeed (industry-wide), there is a definite risk of losing one's money here, and the losses can mount up quickly.</p>
<p>However, these are the small risks in the grand scheme of things. The big money comes when projects succeed and roll out nationally. Getting a fair deal and a meaningful chunk of the profits requires having the leverage of a tested project you fully own. The timid — those who avoid the small risks of self-funding and sell-in early — get bad deals and miss out on the kind of brand equity that pays dividends for years to come.</p>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-63858911467293583302021-11-21T07:49:00.006-05:002021-11-21T11:17:11.867-05:00Debtors are Not Free People<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVeML7f27_yKOKNy-lNJVcEbtBkcM-kx6-l2dFUJO534kyLQWmDZ2DAknCiDqCJSe_WB2I7rfUbUcrNdqUBBYS4eJLiR-u6W9HiCA4aoxa-5Hgu3XnqU51sKfNIuVkYcy2lsSqkGheYQ/s1200/taleb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="875" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVeML7f27_yKOKNy-lNJVcEbtBkcM-kx6-l2dFUJO534kyLQWmDZ2DAknCiDqCJSe_WB2I7rfUbUcrNdqUBBYS4eJLiR-u6W9HiCA4aoxa-5Hgu3XnqU51sKfNIuVkYcy2lsSqkGheYQ/s320/taleb.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“I have never, ever borrowed a penny. So I have zero credit record. No loans, no mortgage, nothing. Ever. When I had no money, I rented. I have an allergy to borrowing and a scorn for people who are in debt, and I don’t hide it. I follow the Romans’ attitude that debtors are not free people.”</b></span></p>
<p></p><p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- <a href="https://fooledbyrandomness.com/" target="_blank">Nassim Taleb</a></b></span></p><p></p></blockquote>
<p>(Source: <i><a href="https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/money/a19181300/nassim-nicholas-taleb-money-advice/" target="_blank"><i>Esquire</i></a></i>)</p>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-54737011981957348022021-11-19T08:35:00.006-05:002021-11-21T11:08:44.648-05:00If 50 Million People Say a Foolish Thing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTILFpHucHdH_pjNnoCWUXCYp3kT8CkcWQWPA5Hiw21HZSkrkPC0YIcnk7yiDMecV0aZ9M7X1UNQ3PnJigCeR46Sw16yU2PvdADqqG6FlPpNhYFeUbbR2jRWackfg23yinSe7uo7MHFhA/s350/france.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTILFpHucHdH_pjNnoCWUXCYp3kT8CkcWQWPA5Hiw21HZSkrkPC0YIcnk7yiDMecV0aZ9M7X1UNQ3PnJigCeR46Sw16yU2PvdADqqG6FlPpNhYFeUbbR2jRWackfg23yinSe7uo7MHFhA/s320/france.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“If fifty million people say a foolish thing ... it is still a foolish thing.”</b></span></p><p></p><p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- Anatole France</b></span></p></blockquote>
<p>What a perfect quote to articulate the <i>ad numeram</i> fallacy!</p>
<p>Per <a href="https://mylogicalfallacy.com/numeram-argumentumad/" target="_blank"><u>My Logical Fallacy</u></a>:</p>
<blockquote>“The <i>argumentum ad numeram</i> wrongly equates the numbers in support of a contention with the correctness of it. Ideas which have mass support are not necessarily more likely to be right; but the ad numeram supposes that they are ...<br><br>
“If ideas were decided by numbers, no new ones would ever be admitted. Every new idea starts out as a minority viewpoint and gains acceptance only if the evidence for it wins converts over from the prevailing view. If numbers are the test, then Giordano Bruno was wrong when he said the earth moved around the sun, and the authorities were right to burn him at the stake.”</blockquote>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-29404806063389971692021-11-15T08:47:00.006-05:002021-11-15T08:47:41.925-05:00Science Cannot Answer Childlike Questions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUrRaE7QMom9xQW1Bhb6r5v5YdBj3fBUpqgUAofOeJs5vBgifuW3JsWIKptrgFAhhyNVafGwi851zUHMPcnA-wXjF_ynRrzvivSeYEk-8oFyu8s2EZZ8ZKvgYCJvfRlTp9yYE3pQ9xYo/s417/medawar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUrRaE7QMom9xQW1Bhb6r5v5YdBj3fBUpqgUAofOeJs5vBgifuW3JsWIKptrgFAhhyNVafGwi851zUHMPcnA-wXjF_ynRrzvivSeYEk-8oFyu8s2EZZ8ZKvgYCJvfRlTp9yYE3pQ9xYo/s320/medawar.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“The existence of a limit to science is, however, made clear by its inability to answer childlike elementary questions having to do with first and last things – questions such as 'How did everything begin?' 'What are we all here for?' 'What is the point of living?'”</b></span></p><p></p><p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- Nobel Laureate Sir Peter Medawar</b></span></p></blockquote>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844894109022398341.post-3988472125860164382021-10-16T11:37:00.009-04:002021-10-16T11:41:43.031-04:00Healthy Skepticism, Suspended Judgment<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAPXD6pQMzOwALikNX4R6CNE0VsWqqHBc8So3IJSszNk-xdlA1UQhyIwL7s8TG9zUX-_snQ-zKpARAGd-9JyDx5eHas6Djn_PLejUTDWctXxOFyUFEN-RpV-mtGI-K0QU2_RqGOgLwfI/s1068/hubble.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="846" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAPXD6pQMzOwALikNX4R6CNE0VsWqqHBc8So3IJSszNk-xdlA1UQhyIwL7s8TG9zUX-_snQ-zKpARAGd-9JyDx5eHas6Djn_PLejUTDWctXxOFyUFEN-RpV-mtGI-K0QU2_RqGOgLwfI/w254-h320/hubble.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>“The scientist explores the world of phenomena by successive approximations. He knows that his data are not precise and that his theories must always be tested. It is quite natural that he tends to develop healthy skepticism, suspended judgment, and disciplined imagination — <i>not only about other people's ideas but also about his own</i>.”</b></span></p><p></p><p align="right"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>- Edwin Hubble</b></span></p><p></p></blockquote>
<p>Adding this one to the list of similar quotes from scientists and thinkers that includes Albert Einstein (<a href="http://www.jordanpine.com/2020/07/einstein-on-scientific-theories.html"><u>here</u></a> and <a href="http://www.jordanpine.com/2018/07/einstein-on-scientific-proof.html"><u>here</u></a>), <a href="http://www.jordanpine.com/2021/03/if-it-disagrees-with-experiment-its.html"><u>Richard Feynman</u></a> and <a href="http://www.jordanpine.com/2021/05/in-our-infinite-ignorance-we-are-all.html"><u>Karl Popper</u></a>.</p>
<p>(NB: The italics indicate the latter part of the quote may have been added by others.)</p>Jordan Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16296372787033700521noreply@blogger.com