bramflakes comments on Rationality Quotes January 2014 - Less Wrong

7 Post author: Mestroyer 04 January 2014 07:39PM

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Comment author: bramflakes 10 January 2014 01:51:01AM 3 points [-]

My first attempt was

Indeed he (knows not) how to (know who (knows not also (how to unknow)))

Meaning

This person does not know how to distinguish between those who know how to unknow, and those that cannot.

Now my brain doesn't recognize "know" as a word ...

Comment author: glomerulus 20 January 2014 03:11:14AM 3 points [-]

Ambiguity-resolving trick: if phrases can be interpreted as parallel, they probably are.

Recognizing that "knows not how to know" parallels with "knows not also how to unknow," or more simply "how to know" || "how to unknow", makes the aphorism much easier to parse.