From: Hal Finney (hal@rain.org)
Date: Wed Jan 15 1997 - 16:30:14 MST
From: "Lee Daniel Crocker" <lcrocker@calweb.com>
> Rational minds cannot be offended. "Taking offense" is a symptom of
> an intellectual pathology that the value of ideas can be judged by
> emotional response instead of reason.
One benefit I have found from participating in debates on the net over
the years is the development of a thicker skin. Our recent discussion
here with David Brin was a good test of this. I try to focus on the
points I can address objectively and ignore the name calling. It's not
always easy, though.
> One does run the risk of being vocally, spectacularly, wrong. Eli
> has assigned moral judgment to plants; I once proudly advocated
> government funding of research. I shudder at those once eloquent
> pronouncements of mine, and how they might have affected the minds
> of others, but I cannot dwell on error. I must simply say "I was
> wrong", and get on with the business of learning. No apologies, no
> regrets, no limits.
I agree with the importance of being able to admit when you are wrong.
This is another thing which I have tried to work on. Fortunately, I am
wrong quite a bit so I get a lot of practice!
Hal
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