Cheerskep: I've thought of suggesting to emai users and list serve members
that we add a smiley face ; - ) when we write something in jest. In this
case, I was referring to your earlier post in which, "I'm certain" you were
joking about a smoke screen. Now I've been lectured on facilitating debate.
No doubt the Palin technique has its place. "Certainly', ; - ) it diverts
and distracts from elucidation of issues.
If I must be serious .... ; - ) "certain" could have some utility in
conveying that I have a feeling of, perhaps strong confidence in some
observation being valid or replicable (whether or not it is in fact). Bring
in your smoke clearing.
Geoff C
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Reply-To: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: "Certainty"
Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2008 12:57:13 EDT
In a message dated 11/1/08 12:18:48 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> Cheerskep: Sure. Setting up more smoke screen, I can see. You'll be able
to
> shoot down all offerings.
>
Geoff, you're a psychologist. You have to know how much the possibility of
progress between disputants (e.g. a man and wife, or Palin and her critics)
is
hampered when, instead of addressing what the first guy has just said,
the
second guy dismissively imputes a despicable motive to the first guy.
You're diametrically wrong to suggest I want to throw up a smoke screen. My
aim is consistently to blow smoke away.
And you're also very wrong if you think my motivation on the forum is a
delight I get from "shooting down all offerings". It isn't. I wish
gummed-up
offerings never hit the forum in the first place. Look back at the
assertions you
yourself have taken exception to on the forum. Were you doing that solely
for
the satisfaction of shooting something down?
Besides, if you to tell us what you have in mind when you use the word
'certainty', unless the notion has blatant internal inconsistencies, no one
can
prove you "wrong". And at the very least it will give us a better idea what
you're
talking about. I confess that often when I've examined closely some notion
I've been entertaining, only then did I discover how fuzzy it was.
***
I had written:
The word 'certainty' is now being used on the forum by folks who have not
described their notion when they use the word. Try describing it, gang. You
won't
find it easy.
The reasons for describing what you have in mind are, first, that, without
making your notion serviceably clear, you may be talking past each other --
i.e.
each has a different idea of what's at issue. Second, you may discover your
unexamined notion is fatally fuzzy.
Still, when you use the word, you tend to think you have a serviceably
clear notion in mind, so take why not a shot at it?
**************
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