Hello. I found this place as a result of reading Yudkowski’s intuitive explanation of Bayes Theorem. I think we are like a very large group of blind people each trying to describe the elephant on the basis of the small part we touch. However, if I can aggregate the tactile observations of a large number of us blind people, I might end up with a pretty good idea of what that elephant looks like. That’s my goal—to build a coherent and consistent mental picture of that elephant.
I honestly have some pretty bad associations for that metaphor. The parable makes sense, but I find that it’s almost invariably (indeed, even in its original incarnations) presented with the implication “if we could pool our knowledge and experiences, we would come away with an understanding that resembles what I already believe.”
I have no prior belief as to what this elephant looks like and I am continuously surprised and challenged by the various pieces that have to somehow fit into the overall picture. I don’t worry whether my mental construct accords to Reality. I live with the fact that my limited understanding of quarks is probably not how they are understood by a particle physicist. But I am driven to keep learning more and somehow to fit it all together. Commenting helps me to articulate my personal theory of everything. But I need critical feedback from others to help me spot the inconsistencies. to force me not to be lazy, and to point out the gaps in my knowledge.
Hello. I found this place as a result of reading Yudkowski’s intuitive explanation of Bayes Theorem. I think we are like a very large group of blind people each trying to describe the elephant on the basis of the small part we touch. However, if I can aggregate the tactile observations of a large number of us blind people, I might end up with a pretty good idea of what that elephant looks like. That’s my goal—to build a coherent and consistent mental picture of that elephant.
I honestly have some pretty bad associations for that metaphor. The parable makes sense, but I find that it’s almost invariably (indeed, even in its original incarnations) presented with the implication “if we could pool our knowledge and experiences, we would come away with an understanding that resembles what I already believe.”
I have no prior belief as to what this elephant looks like and I am continuously surprised and challenged by the various pieces that have to somehow fit into the overall picture. I don’t worry whether my mental construct accords to Reality. I live with the fact that my limited understanding of quarks is probably not how they are understood by a particle physicist. But I am driven to keep learning more and somehow to fit it all together. Commenting helps me to articulate my personal theory of everything. But I need critical feedback from others to help me spot the inconsistencies. to force me not to be lazy, and to point out the gaps in my knowledge.