On 15 Feb 2014, at 14:36, David Nyman wrote:
On 15 February 2014 13:17, Bruno Marchal <[email protected]> wrote:
I have another theory of intelligence, which is that kids are
intelligent (= can change their mind and learn), and adults are
stupid (= can no more change their minds).
Yes, and indeed I have noticed that there is a great deal of social
and professional pressure on adults *not* to change their minds. I
had a boss many years ago (for whom unfortunately I didn't have a
great deal of respect, at least professionally). During a "work
appraisal" she said to me "David, I wonder whether perhaps you lack
confidence because I notice that when we meet you often succeed in
convincing me that you are absolutely right about some course of
action but then the next time we meet you tell me you have
reconsidered it.". I was struck by her comment and reflected on it.
The next time we met I told her "I've been thinking about your
remark and I realise that it's because the fact that you happen to
be convinced that I am right matters less to me than my worry that I
might actually be wrong.". Unfortunately it wasn't until some time
later that I realised that in being quite so frank I had very
probably offended her!
That's why the wise man and the universal machine remain silent in
case like that.
Oops.
Bruno
http://iridia.ulb.ac.be/~marchal/
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