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buybuydandavis comments on Science, Engineering, and Uncoolness; Here and Now, Then and There - Less Wrong Discussion

9 Post author: Ritalin 08 December 2012 07:52PM

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Comment author: buybuydandavis 09 December 2012 11:13:09PM 3 points [-]

You didn't just say "listen", you said "shut up and listen".

Some people may ask EY for his doctorate, but many do not. I don't, and I've got one. In many fields, that would make me right, and EY wrong, about anything in the field. Not the case in technical fields.

But people do have limited time, and want to see some evidence that listening to some technical argument will be worthwhile. For some, that will be a relevant doctorate, relevant peer reviewed papers, etc. There is no point in getting huffy because someone's priors imply that it's not cost effective to listen to you.

"Shut up and listen" is a very different statement than "I don't think that looking at your work is a good investment of my time."

Comment author: Ritalin 10 December 2012 12:00:34AM *  0 points [-]

Well, sure they're very different. The former is a socially-acknowledged-as-wise man basically saying "there is strength behind my words", the second is the same man saying "what you say is not worth listening to". "I'm strong, watch and learn" is not the same as saying "I refuse to even accept your challenge".