073 Two arguments made by people who don't understand epistemology
073 Two arguments made by people who don't understand epistemology"Because it has always been done that way" and "Because I say so"“Because it has always been done that way.”The fact that something has always been done a certain way does not necessarily mean that it is the best way to do it. There can always be a better one. Moreover, an appeal to tradition does not explain why we should choose a certain way. It talks nothing about the “way”, only about what worked in the past (which isn’t always right). Extrapolating a given outcome without an explanation is a pure epistemological fallacy. Just because all you’ve ever seen are swans that are white, does not mean black swans do not exist. This kind of thinking limits innovation and criticism to obviously faulty “ways” things are done. “Because I say so.”Often used to keep children in control, this phrase seeks to justify claims by appealing to authority (or who the claim is claimed by) not to the claims themselves. This relies on an unreasonable assumption which is of the infallibility of authority. With those four words you’re unwittingly instantiating in the child a longing to seek justification from authority, not reality. ConclusionSources don’t matter. Ideas do. We should not suppress criticism to certain ideas by establishing their apparent infallibility. People can be wrong, authorities can be wrong, whole traditions can be wrong. This view isn’t of downright skepticism. It is of the process of the growth of knowledge by criticizing existing theories of how the world works with better ones. The Amazing Things & Ideas List1. Why Did the Wright Brothers Succeed When Others Failed? The story of two high school dropouts who did “the impossible” and how they were raised to have an insatiable intellectual curiosity. 2. If you want to build wealth, here’s Why You Should Expose Yourself To Positive “Black Swan” Events. 3. Lessons and realization: 4. Elon Musk’s six productive rules for business presented by Casey New Podcast Episode#10 – Andrew Kirby: Hitting Financial Freedom At Age 22, Solving Problems and Happiness Andrew Kirby is a YouTuber with over 600,000 subscribers who became financially free at age 22 by synthesizing content on the Internet. We talk about:
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Key phrases
Older messages
072 Being virtuous > being disciplined
Sunday, November 27, 2022
“How will children be disciplined without school?”
071 I went on a meditation retreat
Sunday, November 20, 2022
Recently, I went on a solo meditation retreat somewhere close to the Himalayas for 4 days.
070 "What if something happens to you?"
Sunday, November 13, 2022
“What if something happens to you?” Then that would be way better than if nothing ever happened to me.
069 On Perspective
Sunday, November 6, 2022
Some (rough) musings on a topic that I think is crucial to deeply understand the human condition.
068 How to get better
Sunday, October 30, 2022
The way to get better at any craft is through the not-as-good-phase.
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