Comments on: TWO RULES UNDERPINNING THE INTELLECTUAL PURSUIT http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/12/two-rules-underpinning-the-intellectual-pursuit/ Macro Perspective on the Capital Markets, Economy, Geopolitics, Technology, and Digital Media Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:04:14 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: michael m. http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/12/two-rules-underpinning-the-intellectual-pursuit/comment-page-1/#comment-134857 michael m. Fri, 19 Dec 2008 23:08:38 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=13046#comment-134857 I am an academic in one of the insecure social science disciplines. Myimpression is that often people get the farthest who are irrationally or ignorantly devoted to some proposition or set of ideas. I think most well-known ideas in my field are true part of the time, but never most or all of the time, and unfortunately it is very hard to predict when they will be or won't be the right ones. The actual situation is so complex and unmanageable that it is mostly those who have oversimplified the problem, and pressed ahead with unjustified confidence who both succeed, and who produce interesting work. I have not seen a way around this problem. I am an academic in one of the insecure social science disciplines. Myimpression is that often people get the farthest who are irrationally or ignorantly devoted to some proposition or set of ideas. I think most well-known ideas in my field are true part of the time, but never most or all of the time, and unfortunately it is very hard to predict when they will be or won’t be the right ones. The actual situation is so complex and unmanageable that it is mostly those who have oversimplified the problem, and pressed ahead with unjustified confidence who both succeed, and who produce interesting work.

I have not seen a way around this problem.

]]> By: Greg0658 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/12/two-rules-underpinning-the-intellectual-pursuit/comment-page-1/#comment-134835 Greg0658 Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:16:31 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=13046#comment-134835 I think therefor I am a simple organism in the sea - that feeds off the basic elements of the sea therefor I will not perish until the sea ceases to exist so save the seas NOT ... quite I am a complex organism - on a complex planet operated by other complex organisms that many care less about saving the seas so save the seas The Beatles - Octopus's Garden http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqd6yF4SrmI I think therefor I am

a simple organism in the sea – that feeds off the basic elements of the sea
therefor I will not perish until the sea ceases to exist
so save the seas

NOT … quite

I am a complex organism – on a complex planet
operated by other complex organisms
that many care less about saving the seas
so save the seas

The Beatles – Octopus’s Garden
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqd6yF4SrmI

]]> By: Jim Welsh http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/12/two-rules-underpinning-the-intellectual-pursuit/comment-page-1/#comment-134761 Jim Welsh Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:50:23 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=13046#comment-134761 What was our original face before we were born? We spend a lifetime accumulating habits and one ideology or another. None of it provides any insight as to what was our original face. What was our original face before we were born? We spend a lifetime accumulating habits and one ideology or another. None of it provides any insight as to what was our original face.

]]> By: Transor Z http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/12/two-rules-underpinning-the-intellectual-pursuit/comment-page-1/#comment-134695 Transor Z Fri, 19 Dec 2008 03:24:52 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=13046#comment-134695 Sorry, could have sworn the by-line said Barry Ritholtz earlier and not "Guest Author"... Damn, Barry, this Pochari chap is a little facile in his political theories, no? Provocative, yes, but maybe a little on the Lyndon LaRouche side? Sorry, could have sworn the by-line said Barry Ritholtz earlier and not “Guest Author”…

Damn, Barry, this Pochari chap is a little facile in his political theories, no? Provocative, yes, but maybe a little on the Lyndon LaRouche side?

]]> By: texasradio http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/12/two-rules-underpinning-the-intellectual-pursuit/comment-page-1/#comment-134686 texasradio Fri, 19 Dec 2008 02:37:41 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=13046#comment-134686 Yeah, because we know that true "intellectuals" always USE THE CAPLOCK TO EXPLAIN ARBITRARY RULES, FOLLOWED RELIGIOUSLY, WHICH THEREBY QUALIFY ONE'S THOUGHT AS INTELLECTUALISM. Also, Feynman might well have been referring to economists in the "Cargo Cult" piece. Like Krugman, for example. Wouldn't this World Affairs Monthly outfit be a good merger fit for Deep Capture? ~~~ <B>BR</b>: No, WAM is mostly rational Yeah, because we know that true “intellectuals” always USE THE CAPLOCK TO EXPLAIN ARBITRARY RULES, FOLLOWED RELIGIOUSLY, WHICH THEREBY QUALIFY ONE’S THOUGHT AS INTELLECTUALISM.

Also, Feynman might well have been referring to economists in the “Cargo Cult” piece. Like Krugman, for example.

Wouldn’t this World Affairs Monthly outfit be a good merger fit for Deep Capture?

~~~

BR: No, WAM is mostly rational

]]> By: Mark E Hoffer http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/12/two-rules-underpinning-the-intellectual-pursuit/comment-page-1/#comment-134639 Mark E Hoffer Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:43:17 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=13046#comment-134639 and, differently: "There aren't some serious Questions that need Answering, There are some serious Answers that need Questioning." ~~ MRegan, while I'm not, in any way, supportive of that clip, if we never hewed the Dross, we'd have no Gold.. and, differently: “There aren’t some serious Questions that need Answering, There are some serious Answers that need Questioning.”
~~

MRegan,

while I’m not, in any way, supportive of that clip, if we never hewed the Dross, we’d have no Gold..

]]> By: debreuil http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/12/two-rules-underpinning-the-intellectual-pursuit/comment-page-1/#comment-134638 debreuil Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:40:58 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=13046#comment-134638 "If1 someone2 can’t2 explain2 to1 you1 what1 they1 do1 clearly2, in1 a1 sentence2 or1 two1, using2 words1 of1 one1 syllable3… They1 are1 full1 of1 it1. Intellectual5 or1 otherwise3." he1 he1, just1 being2 factious3 : )1 “If1 someone2 can’t2 explain2 to1 you1 what1 they1 do1 clearly2, in1 a1 sentence2 or1 two1, using2 words1 of1 one1 syllable3…
They1 are1 full1 of1 it1. Intellectual5 or1 otherwise3.”

he1 he1, just1 being2 factious3 : )1

]]> By: gloppie http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/12/two-rules-underpinning-the-intellectual-pursuit/comment-page-1/#comment-134637 gloppie Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:38:04 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=13046#comment-134637 "....as a very flimsy foundation for a career in the intellectual pursuits..." I respectfully disagree; keeping an open mind is a strong foundation for intellectual pursuit. The author almost sound Zen / gnostic :c) “….as a very flimsy foundation for a career in the intellectual pursuits…”

I respectfully disagree; keeping an open mind is a strong foundation for intellectual pursuit.

The author almost sound Zen / gnostic :c)

]]> By: MRegan http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/12/two-rules-underpinning-the-intellectual-pursuit/comment-page-1/#comment-134631 MRegan Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:21:30 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=13046#comment-134631 Regarding WAM While I found the recommendation about avoiding ideological straight jackets valuable, I would note that further down on the WAM website there is a book review of something written by a G. Celente (odd) and if you scroll further down, the author's anti-semitism becomes apparent. This stuff is just a little goofy. Sounds like a bad translation of President Ah'm a Dinner Jacket's Super Secret Diary. Excerpt [my reproductionn of the excerpt is not an endorsement of the WAM site's content, quite the contrary]: "THE REALITIES OF EIOK AND EROI The total destruction of Israel will be an awesome sight, and it would appear that many Jews will lose their lives – if they do not flee. War is coming, violence is coming, and of course this is because this is what the human animal is all about – predation. This is history, the force and power of history. We either respect others, or suffer their wrath when we have fallen from grace. The Jews respect only themselves, and so they will be destroyed, their delusions of grandeur destroyed. " Regarding WAM
While I found the recommendation about avoiding ideological straight jackets valuable, I would note that further down on the WAM website there is a book review of something written by a G. Celente (odd) and if you scroll further down, the author’s anti-semitism becomes apparent. This stuff is just a little goofy. Sounds like a bad translation of President Ah’m a Dinner Jacket’s Super Secret Diary.

Excerpt [my reproductionn of the excerpt is not an endorsement of the WAM site's content, quite the contrary]:
“THE REALITIES OF EIOK AND EROI

The total destruction of Israel will be an awesome sight, and it would appear that many Jews will lose their lives – if they do not flee. War is coming, violence is coming, and of course this is because this is what the human animal is all about – predation. This is history, the force and power of history. We either respect others, or suffer their wrath when we have fallen from grace. The Jews respect only themselves, and so they will be destroyed, their delusions of grandeur destroyed. “

]]> By: debreuil http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/12/two-rules-underpinning-the-intellectual-pursuit/comment-page-1/#comment-134624 debreuil Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:59:37 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=13046#comment-134624 ...except hollywood actors, because they are so good at pretending. …except hollywood actors, because they are so good at pretending.

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