25th April 2007, 2:46 PM
? I mean the idea of this cherry picking of what "sounds good" in the book and ignoring what you don't like. It's fine if you ignore it, but if not, WHY not? If it has to do with evidence, apply that standard to the rest of the book. If it has to do with just what you want to think is so, you've basically just admitted to having no good reason to think it is so but doing so anyway.
Anyway, this at least has the benefit of making some people feel good about themselves, in the same way any delusion of this sort might. The darker side of course is the group of people utterly convinced, in spite of a lack of evidence, that video games are destroying America, or witch hunts in the past, where being accused of being a witch was sufficient evidence that you are in fact a witch. Yes, those examples are far worse, but it's the same brand of faulty thinking that leads to both.
But don't take my word for it! Check it out at your local library.
Anyway, this at least has the benefit of making some people feel good about themselves, in the same way any delusion of this sort might. The darker side of course is the group of people utterly convinced, in spite of a lack of evidence, that video games are destroying America, or witch hunts in the past, where being accused of being a witch was sufficient evidence that you are in fact a witch. Yes, those examples are far worse, but it's the same brand of faulty thinking that leads to both.
But don't take my word for it! Check it out at your local library.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)