8 ms·

Reminds me of this bit by Feynman on the difference between knowing something, and knowing the name of that thing: http://youtu.be/05WS0WN7zMQ http://youtu.be/

Reminds me of this bit by Feynman on the difference between knowing something, and knowing the name of that thing: http://youtu.be/05WS0WN7zMQ http://youtu.be/05WS0WN7zMQ There does seem to exist a particular breed of "intellectual" who not only confuses the two, but seemingly believes that conceptual understanding is merely an unpleasant side effect one must endure in order to achieve the ultimate goal, which is to grow one's vocabulary (and grow it beyond recognition, and, more importantly, beyond scrutiny from mere-mortals). Jargon creep is inevitable when we go expert-crazy, which, it seems to me, is more about marking territory and protecting one's clique than any legitimate concern for the advancement of knowledge. > "It's simply no longer possible to be an expert in more than one field." This is a lazy straw-man argument (1). Of course, experts are necessary, and we'd only go so far before we start running in circles if not for dedicated individuals... But how does this negate the value of polymaths? This is like saying that wheels on an airplane are completely useless, because wings have been meticulously crafted for the sole purpose of flying. -- The two serve different purposes. The plane can't fly without the one, but it won't get off the ground without the other. A polymath will never acquire the depth of understanding of an expert, but neither can the expert have access to the more varied sources of inspiration / patterns of thought that a polymath acquires through breadth of experience. It seems obvious to me that the two personality types complement each other (like "the two cultures" -- problem solvers and theory builders). If anything, given the insurmountable amount of knowledge we've gathered on any given topic, now more than ever we need to actively research more effective means of cross-pollinating, or run the risk of academic myopia. -- (1) or maybe not a straw-man... a red herring? We might need to bring in an expert in argumentation theory -- preferably one with extensive research in the field of informal fallacies -- as I am clearly not qualified to comment one way or the other.

bane 12y ago
> which is to grow one's vocabulary Not surprisingly, people often confuse well spoken individuals with intelligent individuals. We've probably all met the incredibly polished and well spoken person who was otherwise dumb as a sack of hammers, but it took a long time to figure it out because of their well developed communication abilities sending a confusing signal. It short circuits our intelligence detectors. It reminds me of Williams Syndrome which, despite sufferers having an average IQ of about 70, confound people who know them because of their high social engagement and constant friendly chatting. I've found it's often helpful when meeting new people to sit back and observe the quality of the thinking behind their words rather than just the words themselves. The results are often surprising.
- nnq 12y ago
  I've been on the other site of the fence too. It's depressing how easy it is to make people think you know a lot more than you actually do by having above average skills at expressing your thoughts. Hope I didn't just do that again... :)
- gaius 12y ago
  Not surprisingly, people often confuse well spoken individuals with intelligent individuals. We've probably all met the incredibly polished and well spoken person who was otherwise dumb as a sack of hammers The classic example being Stephen Fry.
  - PM_Tech 12y ago
    ...this seems like a needlessly low attack on the man. Why do you perceive him to be as dumb as a bag of hammers? A respected actor, comedian and presenter he has also authored a number of novels and several non-fiction works and graduated from one of the most respected educational institutions in the entire world. Hardly dumb.
    - gaius 12y ago
      Because he uses his posh accent and long words to talk utter nonsense, and gets upset when he gets called on it. One of many: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/03/25/stephen_fry_not_upset_you_twat/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/03/25/stephen_fry_not_upse...
      - PM_Tech 12y ago
        That's strange considered he published a semi-famous essay taking grammar and language pedants to task. http://www.stephenfry.com/2008/11/04/dont-mind-your-language%E2%80%A6/ http://www.stephenfry.com/2008/11/04/dont-mind-your-language... How does your link make Fry out to be as dumb as a bag of hammers? You may dislike him personally (shrug) but that does not make the man stupid. I would also agree that the Register are being needlessly cruel by inviting readers to comb though his statements and then popularise his mistakes. I very much doubt any person on earth could withstand that kind of scrutiny, not even politicians who have armies of people to protect them from making quantative and qualitative mistakes. Fry speaks as eccentric British comedians from the upper middle class speak. I guess non-natives just don't get it.

bane 12y ago

> which is to grow one's vocabulary Not surprisingly, people often confuse well spoken individuals with intelligent individuals. We've probably all met the incredibly polished and well spoken person who was otherwise dumb as a sack of hammers, but it took a long time to figure it out because of their well developed communication abilities sending a confusing signal. It short circuits our intelligence detectors. It reminds me of Williams Syndrome which, despite sufferers having an average IQ of about 70, confound people who know them because of their high social engagement and constant friendly chatting. I've found it's often helpful when meeting new people to sit back and observe the quality of the thinking behind their words rather than just the words themselves. The results are often surprising.

nnq 12y ago
I've been on the other site of the fence too. It's depressing how easy it is to make people think you know a lot more than you actually do by having above average skills at expressing your thoughts. Hope I didn't just do that again... :)
gaius 12y ago
Not surprisingly, people often confuse well spoken individuals with intelligent individuals. We've probably all met the incredibly polished and well spoken person who was otherwise dumb as a sack of hammers The classic example being Stephen Fry.
- PM_Tech 12y ago
  ...this seems like a needlessly low attack on the man. Why do you perceive him to be as dumb as a bag of hammers? A respected actor, comedian and presenter he has also authored a number of novels and several non-fiction works and graduated from one of the most respected educational institutions in the entire world. Hardly dumb.
  - gaius 12y ago
    Because he uses his posh accent and long words to talk utter nonsense, and gets upset when he gets called on it. One of many: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/03/25/stephen_fry_not_upset_you_twat/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/03/25/stephen_fry_not_upse...
    - PM_Tech 12y ago
      That's strange considered he published a semi-famous essay taking grammar and language pedants to task. http://www.stephenfry.com/2008/11/04/dont-mind-your-language%E2%80%A6/ http://www.stephenfry.com/2008/11/04/dont-mind-your-language... How does your link make Fry out to be as dumb as a bag of hammers? You may dislike him personally (shrug) but that does not make the man stupid. I would also agree that the Register are being needlessly cruel by inviting readers to comb though his statements and then popularise his mistakes. I very much doubt any person on earth could withstand that kind of scrutiny, not even politicians who have armies of people to protect them from making quantative and qualitative mistakes. Fry speaks as eccentric British comedians from the upper middle class speak. I guess non-natives just don't get it.