Thus spake Steve Smith circa 06/22/2009 08:57 PM: > glen e. p. ropella uttered/spake/emitted/gurgitated: >> A mandated method to be clear as possible as much as possible would be >> just as effective and efficient as a mandate to be as vague as possible >> as much as possible. To be clear, I claim that neither conviction is >> more effective or efficient than the other. Particular methods must be >> chosen for the proper context. >> > I sympathize with your characterization of "_all_ communication as a > generalized koan" but I am not sure I agree on your followup point. I'm > not sure the two examples (clear as possible vs vague as possible) are > reciprocal (complementary?).
My point was not that the mandate to be vague is the inverse of the mandate to be clear (though I think one could make that argument easily enough). My point was that, when communicating, sometimes it is useful to be clear and sometimes it is useful to be vague. What I was objecting to was Russ' _conviction_ to a single communication mandate. I've found that it's counterproductive to commit oneself to a sole approach to the world. It's like Russ' conviction to clarity is a willful decision to always hold a hammer so that everything around him looks like a nail. Single-minded convictions like that are always a red flag for me. Of course I appreciate clarity and attempts to be clear. But I just don't make it a fixed conviction. I'm open to all forms of communication, including being vague when that seems most appropriate. If necessary, I can come up with some examples where being vague is a better method for communicating ideas than attempting to be clear. But I don't think it's necessary. I imagine everyone on this list can come up with examples themselves. [grin] -- glen e. p. ropella, 971-222-9095, http://agent-based-modeling.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
