an article thingy
Nov. 28th, 2006 05:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
silentdescantI didn't get any real chores done, but I did fix all of my journal entry tags! And updated links to everywhere! And I posted a new chapter!! (yeah, yeah, "about time," right?) Well, I also did a bit of writing. Just a bit. Not enough for a full chapter, though. >.<
Also, there's this. My mom emailed it to me.
"What one simple problem could you eliminate - let's say using magic - that
would fix virtually every other problem in the world?
You might say that poverty is the biggest single problem. ... You could
magically make all forms of energy clean and plentiful and free, or
eliminate disease, or create a machine that produces unlimited food from
pollution. But not one of those solutions would fix ALL of the problems in
the world.
My best candidate for a universal fix is to imbue us all with the knowledge
of who is smarter than ourselves on any given topic. At the moment, without
the benefit of that magical fix, we only have the power to accurately
identify people who are dumber than us.
For example, I know for sure that my dog is dumber than me. I don't have to
make him take the SATs. It's just obvious. And you probably know from your
own experience that if you have an incredible idea of your own - the sort
that is later proven to be genius because it works - that people around you
will consider you a moron right up until the point your idea works. Then
they'll think you're a lucky moron. Genius looks just like stupidity to the
observer.
If I look at the range of opinions on any important topic - from global
warming to geopolitical strategy - I can't tell the difference between a
super genius opinion and a moron opinion. Both opinions are different from
my own. So for convenience, and because I like things in neat categories, I
do the same thing that you do in that situation: I assume that everyone who
disagrees with me is a moron.
...
My magical solution is to give humans the power to tell the difference
between a super genius and a moron. I think this would solve every problem
in the world because chances are that the smartest super genius in each
field has a good idea how to fix that field. But the only solutions being
considered are the ones coming from tall guys with good hair.
The only problem with this magical solution is that it would be somewhat
shocking on the first day when you realize that morons are running the world
and the guy mowing your lawn has the solution to world hunger. But you'd get
over it."
http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2006/11/the_one_problem.html
Also, there's this. My mom emailed it to me.
"What one simple problem could you eliminate - let's say using magic - that
would fix virtually every other problem in the world?
You might say that poverty is the biggest single problem. ... You could
magically make all forms of energy clean and plentiful and free, or
eliminate disease, or create a machine that produces unlimited food from
pollution. But not one of those solutions would fix ALL of the problems in
the world.
My best candidate for a universal fix is to imbue us all with the knowledge
of who is smarter than ourselves on any given topic. At the moment, without
the benefit of that magical fix, we only have the power to accurately
identify people who are dumber than us.
For example, I know for sure that my dog is dumber than me. I don't have to
make him take the SATs. It's just obvious. And you probably know from your
own experience that if you have an incredible idea of your own - the sort
that is later proven to be genius because it works - that people around you
will consider you a moron right up until the point your idea works. Then
they'll think you're a lucky moron. Genius looks just like stupidity to the
observer.
If I look at the range of opinions on any important topic - from global
warming to geopolitical strategy - I can't tell the difference between a
super genius opinion and a moron opinion. Both opinions are different from
my own. So for convenience, and because I like things in neat categories, I
do the same thing that you do in that situation: I assume that everyone who
disagrees with me is a moron.
...
My magical solution is to give humans the power to tell the difference
between a super genius and a moron. I think this would solve every problem
in the world because chances are that the smartest super genius in each
field has a good idea how to fix that field. But the only solutions being
considered are the ones coming from tall guys with good hair.
The only problem with this magical solution is that it would be somewhat
shocking on the first day when you realize that morons are running the world
and the guy mowing your lawn has the solution to world hunger. But you'd get
over it."
http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2006/11/the_one_problem.html