If the thesis were restricted to “predicting the future is so difficult that the vast majority of it is a waste of time” then it would look more reasonable.
Well, the brain is constantly predicting the future. It has to understand the future consequences of its possible actions—so that it can choose between them. Prediction is the foundation of all decision making. Predicting the future seems rather fundamental and commonplace to me—and I would not normally call it “a waste of time”.
Ok. How about “”predicting the future to any substantial level beyond the next few years is so difficult that the vast majority of it is a waste of time.”
(I disagree with both versions of this thesis, but this seems more reasonable. Therefore, it seems likely to me that people mean something much closer to this.)
Well, the brain is constantly predicting the future. It has to understand the future consequences of its possible actions—so that it can choose between them. Prediction is the foundation of all decision making. Predicting the future seems rather fundamental and commonplace to me—and I would not normally call it “a waste of time”.
Ok. How about “”predicting the future to any substantial level beyond the next few years is so difficult that the vast majority of it is a waste of time.”
(I disagree with both versions of this thesis, but this seems more reasonable. Therefore, it seems likely to me that people mean something much closer to this.)