Ann Racuya-Robbins wrote: > In fact > even in this friam forum I have felt a kind of ridicule (you don’t know > anything about mathematics) when I am making a point or something > similar…and being encouraged to shut up and raising laughter (at me not with > me). I am somewhat grizzled from experience so I expect this from time to > time. But why are those who do this doing it? What is gained? I think being > able to use mathematical symbology on the friam would be wonderful but not > if the syntax is not pliable to speak in new ways. And yes I invent > constantly in every language I am able to. > > Think of people whose jobs and families’ well being depend on being well > thought of by others. How much ridicule can they stand. Not much.
I suppose ridicule is being ridiculed in this. [grin] Ridicule seems to me to be just another normal human behavior. I suspect it also extends to other animals, which would mean that ridicule is not necessarily a conscious behavior. Systemically, ridicule is probably a form of inertia. It's true that change is the only constant; but there have to be resistances / impedances, forces that dampen the response to spiky stimuli. Ridicule is one of those forces. Some who are ridiculed turn out to be over-zealous advocates of untested or false conjecture. Some, however, turn out to be rock-solid adherents to and seekers of the truth. But just because some true seekers are ridiculed does not mean that ridicule is not useful and true in its own right. -- glen e. p. ropella, 971-219-3846, http://tempusdictum.com ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
