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What You Can't Say (2004)

paulgraham.com

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Re: What You Can't Say (2004)

#301

Post by Jtsummers »

lazyant wrote: post #287
Jtsummers wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you cite some sources on Galileo as instigator against the state? I've never heard of this before. Also, did you really mean, in your OP, to say that he was executed? That was the first I'd heard of that, and everything I checked (in an admittedly short search) indicated that he died of old age.

he doesn't know what he's talking aout

I figured as much. For a while I thought waps was going for an ironic, given the pg post that prompted this, posting. Now I think s/he is serious, but without citations there's no way to know for certain. Either way, I learned more about Copernicus and Galileo trying to figure out what waps was talking about.

Re: What You Can't Say (2004)

#302

Post by icebraining »

gnaritas wrote: post #298
icebraining wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are better ways to teach that than by showing them you're a liar. Why? There were going to find out anyway.

Excuse me?

None of us could live with an habitual truth-teller; but thank goodness none of us has to. An habitual truth-teller is simply an impossible creature; he does not exist; he never has existed. Of course there are people who think they never lie, but it is not so--and this ignorance is one of the very things that shame our so-called civilization. Everybody lies--every day; every hour; awake; asleep; in his dreams; in his joy; in his mourning; if he keeps his tongue still, his hands, his feet, his eyes, his attitude, will convey deception--and purposely. Even in sermons--but that is a platitude.

http://www.online-literature.com/twain/1320/

Re: What You Can't Say (2004)

#303

Post by gnaritas »

icebraining wrote: post #302
gnaritas wrote: post #298

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Excuse me?

None of us could live with an habitual truth-teller; but thank goodness none of us has to. An habitual truth-teller is simply an impossible creature; he does not exist; he never has existed. Of course there are people who think they never lie, but it is not so--and this ignorance is one of the very things that shame our so-called civilization. Everybody lies--every day; every hour; awake; asleep; in his dreams; in hi…

Yea, bullshit. You're clearly not paying attention to the conversation. Troll elsewhere.

Re: What You Can't Say (2004)

#304

Post by jules »

gnaritas wrote: post #299
jules wrote: post #182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What are those better ways?

Start with honesty, that's a pretty good one. Don't mentally abuse your child with delusions, that's a pretty good one too.

This reply does not answer the question. It's just another attempt at emotional blackmail, which is all you've done so far in this entire discussion. I guess those ultra-strict deontological ethics only apply when it suits you.

Re: What You Can't Say (2004)

#305

Post by renox »

sliverstorm wrote: post #121
ggreer wrote: post #68

Here are some things I think future societies will condemn us for: 1. Prison. Almost every modern penal system focuses on punishment rather than rehabilitation. I think that as our understanding of the brain improves, we'll be able to find the causes of violent behavior and cure them. Punishment will become cruel and unusual. 2. Eating meat (and other animal rights issues). Even if they're not conscious, most tasty a…

#1 & #2 are blocked by technical development. I don't expect people will condemn farmed meat in the days before in-vitro meat had even been done, any more than you or I would condemn hunters of antiquity for not giving game meat a painless death. I don't expect people living in a world where criminals can be "cured" will condemn our use of prisons either, because we can't "cure" criminals yet! Do you catch my drift?…

> I don't expect people living in a world where criminals can be "cured" will condemn our use of prisons either, because we can't "cure" criminals yet!

Sure, but there are prisons and prisons: based on what I saw, I would very much prefer to be in a prison in Sweden than in the US or in France (to select rich countries where prison SHOULD be better).

Re: What You Can't Say (2004)

#306

Post by gnaritas »

jules wrote: post #304
gnaritas wrote: post #299

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Start with honesty, that's a pretty good one. Don't mentally abuse your child with delusions, that's a pretty good one too.

This reply does not answer the question. It's just another attempt at emotional blackmail, which is all you've done so far in this entire discussion. I guess those ultra-strict deontological ethics only apply when it suits you.

>This reply does not answer the question.

Yes it does, it in fact gave two answers to the question.

> It's just another attempt at emotional blackmail

I don't agree, but if that's what you think, then move along, I don't care.

Re: What You Can't Say (2004)

#307

Post by hueving »

growupkids wrote: post #282
lambdaphage wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> it's considered a settled issue that everyone is equally likely to get HIV. I have no idea what this is supposed to mean. Under every interpretation I can think of, it is incorrect. In the first place, people vary in their CD4 and CCR5 (&c.) receptors, so they also vary in their susceptibility to HIV infection given exposure. My understanding is that some alleles confer such resistance to infection that carriers ar…

I think the OP is saying for the general public it's considered a settled matter that everyone is equally likely to get HIV. Not that it's true, but that for PC reasons thats the acceptable "truth". To imply or state otherwise, regardless of its actual truth, would be some kind of ism.

>but that for PC reasons thats the acceptable "truth"

Are blood donations accepted from gay men now?

Re: What You Can't Say (2004)

#308

Post by joerich »

If you know two or more languages you may realize that you cannot say the same things with each language, actually there are some words that doesn’t exist in some languages. For example, I’m from Spain, there are some adjectives that doesn’t exist in English and the other way around. That is why I met English people who have not the behavior of that adjectives (which doesn’t exist) and Spanish people that don’t have the behavior of some adjectives I learned in English which doesn’t exist in Spanish. I think cultures depend on the adjectives they have, how are you gonna expect a behavior that you cannot qualify with your own language with an adjective? As he says at the end”How can you see the wave, when you are the water?” you have to go to other waters (countries) to learn/absorb/feel about other waves(language, culture, behaviour… or whatever) and at the same time you learn about the previous water you were.
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