Wednesday, September 06, 2006
JSH: We argue
I may only have an undergraduate degree in physics but that is enough to have experienced the joys of arguing about physics on so many things and so many ideas.
That's what I hate about how this forum is corrupted, how arguing is not useful, as people turn to personal attacks and anything to appear to win versus caring about what is true.
How do you know that everything you have ever been told is not a lie?
How do you know that this thing you call existence is not just some game of a superior intellect running you through crap like rats in a maze?
I believe that physicists can know. And I believe that if this were just some stupid crap game where I were a pawn to some cruel higher intellect I could prove it, and with that proof, make my choice to leave it.
How do you know that everything you have ever been told is not a lie?
Physics is about asking questions. Fighting for the answers.
And not giving up until you're satisfied.
Yes, you may settle when you should keep going, but at the end of the day, all you can do is your best? Right?
And if you do your best, you never need apologize to anyone.
You may anyway, but it's not a necessity.
I think that in asking questions I turn to the best that history has to offer, to great thinkers like Socrates—known as a gadfly—who annoyed so many people till they pushed him to suicide.
The group can hate the truth. But if you wish your life to mean something other than being a follower behind the herd, sometimes, you have to…do more than wish.
You have to dig, get dirty, fight, argue, wish, find it futile, and fight some more, and maybe get nothing, as who in the hell promised you anything?
But I just say, I'll do my best, and then I need apologize to no one.
Arguing is in the best interest of intellectual discovery.
Physics almost died when people decided that consensus meant too much.
I say, fuck consensus. Give me disagreement.
Make people fight to prove what they believe with NOTHING GIVEN no consideration, no benefit of the doubt.
GIVE ME NOTHING. MAKE ME PROVE EVERYTHING.
That's what I hate about how this forum is corrupted, how arguing is not useful, as people turn to personal attacks and anything to appear to win versus caring about what is true.
How do you know that everything you have ever been told is not a lie?
How do you know that this thing you call existence is not just some game of a superior intellect running you through crap like rats in a maze?
I believe that physicists can know. And I believe that if this were just some stupid crap game where I were a pawn to some cruel higher intellect I could prove it, and with that proof, make my choice to leave it.
How do you know that everything you have ever been told is not a lie?
Physics is about asking questions. Fighting for the answers.
And not giving up until you're satisfied.
Yes, you may settle when you should keep going, but at the end of the day, all you can do is your best? Right?
And if you do your best, you never need apologize to anyone.
You may anyway, but it's not a necessity.
I think that in asking questions I turn to the best that history has to offer, to great thinkers like Socrates—known as a gadfly—who annoyed so many people till they pushed him to suicide.
The group can hate the truth. But if you wish your life to mean something other than being a follower behind the herd, sometimes, you have to…do more than wish.
You have to dig, get dirty, fight, argue, wish, find it futile, and fight some more, and maybe get nothing, as who in the hell promised you anything?
But I just say, I'll do my best, and then I need apologize to no one.
Arguing is in the best interest of intellectual discovery.
Physics almost died when people decided that consensus meant too much.
I say, fuck consensus. Give me disagreement.
Make people fight to prove what they believe with NOTHING GIVEN no consideration, no benefit of the doubt.
GIVE ME NOTHING. MAKE ME PROVE EVERYTHING.
# posted by James Harris @ 01:58 
