I have a long list of strange and extreme views, and I’ve been an arrogant hedgehog for as long as I can remember. As a rule, arrogant hedgehogs with lots of strange and extreme views are severely biased and grossly unreliable. Which raises two daunting questions.
Tag: knowledge
Traffic Ticket Dismissed in Florida
Congrats to Lorenzo for defending himself against the predators in Florida and getting a dismissal. While there is no direct evidence the failure of the judge and prosecutor to respond in eight months to the motion to dismiss and discovery request led to the dismissal, I don’t think we can totally discount that.
Psychology Goes Toe-To-Toe With Totalitarianism in Carl Jung’s “The Undiscovered Self”
To most of us living in the 21st century, it’s easy to forget that weapons exist which could easily destroy life on the planet a few times over. Jung was not ignorant of that. What’s more, he was living through a time when that kind of warfare seemed likely. The world had just lived through the destruction of two world wars, the Russian Revolution, the rise of fascism and National Socialism, and the Holocaust. In 1957, it was not certain that Communism would not spread over the whole world.
The Flakiest Places to Do Business
It’s undeniable that Austin and San Francisco are unique hubs of startups and innovation. I think that’s part of the problem. 90% of the innovating is done by a tiny fraction of the people there, and everyone else gets the benefit of the reputation. It’s a moral hazard.
Both Sides of the Vaccination Debate are Correct… and Incorrect
If both sides would strive to acknowledge the respective risks or rewards recognized by the other side, this acrimonious vaccination debate might be elevated to an enlightening discussion from which we all could benefit. I can’t say I’m terribly optimistic about this outcome, though, as it doesn’t seem to be anyone’s primary objective right now.
In Few Words, What is Freedom?
Freedom is beautiful. It’s a warm cup of coffee in the morning, a sunny walk or drive to our preferred destination, an activity engaged in for the sake of interest, and the loving arms of someone who loves and cares about us.
Give Freedom a Chance
One of the typical responses to criticism of a government policy, program, or other undertaking is the demand for an answer to the question, “What is your alternative?” Often this challenge demands a blueprint or other detailed plan for the alternative to the governmental status quo. Absent such a fully articulated plan, one’s criticism is often dismissed as mere carping by someone who has no idea about how to replace the present government undertaking. My own alternative is simply freedom.
Economic Nationalism: Elitism in Populist Clothing
My old friend and former “American Conservative” editor Dan McCarthy gets it all wrong about Donald Trump’s “national security” tariffs on aluminum and steel.
Market Outcomes > Expert Opinions
Manned flight is impossible. Computers will never be smaller than a house. Space flight is “Utter bilge”. The food pyramid. One doesn’t have to look far to find embarrassing, peer-reviewed, max-credentialed, decades-held-as-orthodoxy proclamations by the most respected experts in the world.
The Propagation of Knowledge
People don’t pass you information because it is true, they pass you information because it benefits them to do so. People don’t study information because it is true, people study what information benefits them. This isn’t a slight at scientists. Few people would suggest that scientists ought to spend time studying information that has no benefit. Many scientists study information based off of flawed premises built within the culture. Few scientists get grants from disinterested parties. The force that links “knowledge” to accuracy or truth is incentives.