An honest hack
October 14, 2024 12:51 AM Subscribe
I always try to live by what Thoreau said, which is that it’s very important not to let your knowledge get in the way of what’s more important—which is your ignorance. As long as I know that I’m ignorant, I can learn something. from SPIN DNA: William T. Vollmann on Journalism
I read something a long time ago that made sense to me.
It said a "Scientist" should regard *everything* as a bead sliding on a wire. At one end of the wire is 100% probability of being True. And the other end of the wire (as you might guess) was 0%.
And they went on to say that a "Scientist" should *never* move that bead completely to one end or the other. That *all* your beliefs should have probabilities attached and should never be 100 or 0.
There are a few things that are 100% (or 0%) but they tend to be trivial. (1+1=2, others)
And personally, I call something "True" when I think it has a probability in the 90s and a similar subjective threshold with "False".
Though once it gets "close" to the end of the wire I'd say my ability to judge gets very murky.
So, no. I don't treasure my "ignorance". And I don't have problems with learning.
posted by aleph at 7:10 AM on October 14 [5 favorites]
It said a "Scientist" should regard *everything* as a bead sliding on a wire. At one end of the wire is 100% probability of being True. And the other end of the wire (as you might guess) was 0%.
And they went on to say that a "Scientist" should *never* move that bead completely to one end or the other. That *all* your beliefs should have probabilities attached and should never be 100 or 0.
There are a few things that are 100% (or 0%) but they tend to be trivial. (1+1=2, others)
And personally, I call something "True" when I think it has a probability in the 90s and a similar subjective threshold with "False".
Though once it gets "close" to the end of the wire I'd say my ability to judge gets very murky.
So, no. I don't treasure my "ignorance". And I don't have problems with learning.
posted by aleph at 7:10 AM on October 14 [5 favorites]
Concur with @aleph. It is possible to at least partially disarm the trap that wants to snap shut on an explanation and have you say to yourself "I understand this, no need to look any closer."
The mind really wants to think that it knows, when all it ever has is educated guesses, and you can get into the habit of remembering that.
posted by Aardvark Cheeselog at 8:16 AM on October 14 [2 favorites]
The mind really wants to think that it knows, when all it ever has is educated guesses, and you can get into the habit of remembering that.
posted by Aardvark Cheeselog at 8:16 AM on October 14 [2 favorites]
"Certainty" is only enjoyed by the faithful.
posted by aleph at 8:39 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]
posted by aleph at 8:39 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]
It's so weird to think Spin had all this actual journalism going on. Back when I had a subscription, I'm not even sure I could've told you what any of those stories were--I would've been flipping through to read about music, not war. And I guess I wouldn't have recognized Vollmann's name back then, either. Now there's no more money for journalism, but it feels like the news itself--in tiny tweetable chunks--is unavoidable. It comes at you in this vast shallow wave.
Do people enjoy Vollmann's writing? He's always struck me as too...ah...I don't know the adjective I want here. The Unabomber comparison is not exactly wrong--the dismal verbosity, all the words. Do people enjoy the words? Do people read the big 7-volume books?
posted by mittens at 8:44 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]
Do people enjoy Vollmann's writing? He's always struck me as too...ah...I don't know the adjective I want here. The Unabomber comparison is not exactly wrong--the dismal verbosity, all the words. Do people enjoy the words? Do people read the big 7-volume books?
posted by mittens at 8:44 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]
"Do people enjoy Vollmann's writing?...the dismal verbosity, all the words."
I've heard people describe liking things like that because of the intense concentration (and length) needed to read it is a high all its own.
posted by aleph at 8:51 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]
I've heard people describe liking things like that because of the intense concentration (and length) needed to read it is a high all its own.
posted by aleph at 8:51 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]
"It's so weird to think Spin had all this actual journalism going on."
Yeah. Never read it but a surprising number of times (to me) saw it "going by" with a serious/worth-it story. Kinda like the surprise I feel when I see references to that Teen Magazine that does so much serious journalism. Then I'm surprised at my surprise.
posted by aleph at 9:04 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]
Yeah. Never read it but a surprising number of times (to me) saw it "going by" with a serious/worth-it story. Kinda like the surprise I feel when I see references to that Teen Magazine that does so much serious journalism. Then I'm surprised at my surprise.
posted by aleph at 9:04 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]
""Certainty" is only enjoyed by the faithful."
Should have said that I'm also "faithful", just not about Science.
I have faith that life is worth living, that friends are worth having, that...
Many things are worth having faith in. You do you.
posted by aleph at 9:54 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]
Should have said that I'm also "faithful", just not about Science.
I have faith that life is worth living, that friends are worth having, that...
Many things are worth having faith in. You do you.
posted by aleph at 9:54 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]
Do people enjoy Vollmann's writing?
I do. It can be overwhelming at times, and is always whelming at least. But never dull, and his journalism is ... something else. What "gonzo" might have been, I guess, had it been more than an extended schtick.
posted by chavenet at 10:08 AM on October 14 [3 favorites]
I do. It can be overwhelming at times, and is always whelming at least. But never dull, and his journalism is ... something else. What "gonzo" might have been, I guess, had it been more than an extended schtick.
posted by chavenet at 10:08 AM on October 14 [3 favorites]
There are a few things that are 100% (or 0%) but they tend to be trivial. (1+1=2, others)
as I learned from an Andre Tarkovksy movie (Nostalghia, I think), 1+1 does indeed equal 1 when it's two drops of olive oil, You let the two touch and they quickly become one (albeit larger).
posted by philip-random at 10:31 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]
as I learned from an Andre Tarkovksy movie (Nostalghia, I think), 1+1 does indeed equal 1 when it's two drops of olive oil, You let the two touch and they quickly become one (albeit larger).
posted by philip-random at 10:31 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]
"...and have you say to yourself "I understand this, no need to look any closer.""
Because it's *easier*.
We are in a *huge* mass of stuff that a lot (most?) people seem to struggle with like the drinking from a firehose thing. So, being able to "close" things is a survival trait. For a lot of people.
Other people are just lazy. :)
posted by aleph at 10:39 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]
Because it's *easier*.
We are in a *huge* mass of stuff that a lot (most?) people seem to struggle with like the drinking from a firehose thing. So, being able to "close" things is a survival trait. For a lot of people.
Other people are just lazy. :)
posted by aleph at 10:39 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]
"Do people enjoy Vollmann's writing? He's always struck me as too...ah...I don't know the adjective I want here. The Unabomber comparison is not exactly wrong--the dismal verbosity, all the words. Do people enjoy the words? Do people read the big 7-volume books?"
I enjoy the words in the order that Vollmann arranges them. He's an amazing writer, one of my favorites. You can walk right into books like Afghanistan Picture Show or Poor People, they're accessible and not prolix. Books like the Seven Dreams series require more patience to lock into the style, in a way that I compare to reading Shakespeare. Once you get the hang of The Ice Shirt, say, you cruise through it. Also, they're not too long if this is your bag, and you like to read them. As far as Rising Up and Rising Down, I read it because I love Vollmann's writing and thinking, not because I especially wanted to read that much about violence. But WTV takes you where he wants to go, not necessarily where you want to go.
Or, in fewer words, if that's your preference: Yes. Yes. Yes.
posted by SafetyPirate at 1:29 PM on October 14 [4 favorites]
I enjoy the words in the order that Vollmann arranges them. He's an amazing writer, one of my favorites. You can walk right into books like Afghanistan Picture Show or Poor People, they're accessible and not prolix. Books like the Seven Dreams series require more patience to lock into the style, in a way that I compare to reading Shakespeare. Once you get the hang of The Ice Shirt, say, you cruise through it. Also, they're not too long if this is your bag, and you like to read them. As far as Rising Up and Rising Down, I read it because I love Vollmann's writing and thinking, not because I especially wanted to read that much about violence. But WTV takes you where he wants to go, not necessarily where you want to go.
Or, in fewer words, if that's your preference: Yes. Yes. Yes.
posted by SafetyPirate at 1:29 PM on October 14 [4 favorites]
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b/c they're ancient? [imagininghistory]
posted by HearHere at 6:52 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]