This belief seems to me very convenient for the brilliant, implying that they got where they are by hard work and properly deserve everything they have. Of course brilliant people also have to put in hard work, but their return on investment is much higher than many other contenders who may have put in even more work for lower total returns. Just-world hypothesis; life is not this fair. And while I do go about preaching the virtue of Hufflepuff, I also go about saying that people should try to Huffle where they have comparative advantage.
My reading of the quote is that empiricism is superior to rationalism (the old philosophical schools, not the sort we discuss here). If I have a proof that my bridge will hold a thousand pounds, and it breaks under a hundred, then the experiment trumps the proof.
In practical terms, though, experience does frequently trump brilliance. This does not mean this is a good thing to have happened, only that it does. Experience makes one more likely to be good at competition.
I haven’t, but the suggestion seems overwhelmingly problematic to me. I don’t have any personal experience with LSD, but I don’t think it would be of great help in my present problem.
However, we could test this. If you have LSD and would like to try your hand at solving it, please let me know. I must say, though, I doubt you would find it to be an interesting problem in the first place.
Not necessarily. You can always apply your excess perspiration to someone else’s excess inspiration (and then claim 99% of any resultant profits—assuming that you provide all the perspiration, of course).
Anecdotally, I seem to observe more excess inspiration than excess perspiration, so I don’t think that excess inspiration will be hard to find.
No, it doesn’t, but might be almost equally wise. Just as it doesn’t make sense to keep working hard without something worth working hard on, it probably doesn’t make sense to keep trying to come up with brilliant ideas if you’re already so awash in brilliant ideas that you can’t implement them all.
Caveat 1: If you can find better inspiration into which to direct your limited supply of perspiration, and don’t further deplete your capacity for perspiration in the process, it may still be a good idea to go for more inspiration.
Caveat 2: If you have a good way to sell your excess inspiration or buy more perspiration, and you have a strong comparative advantage in inspiration, you may want to do that, but selling inspiration is hard, as is buying good quality perspiration.
I think that Caveat #1 is extremely important here. Considering the amount of perspiration needed to turn inspiration into genius, it’s probably best to spend a bit of extra time searching for the best possible inspiration to which to direct your available supply of perspiration.
Experience trumps brilliance.
— Thomas Sowell
This belief seems to me very convenient for the brilliant, implying that they got where they are by hard work and properly deserve everything they have. Of course brilliant people also have to put in hard work, but their return on investment is much higher than many other contenders who may have put in even more work for lower total returns. Just-world hypothesis; life is not this fair. And while I do go about preaching the virtue of Hufflepuff, I also go about saying that people should try to Huffle where they have comparative advantage.
My reading of the quote is that empiricism is superior to rationalism (the old philosophical schools, not the sort we discuss here). If I have a proof that my bridge will hold a thousand pounds, and it breaks under a hundred, then the experiment trumps the proof.
By “proof”, do you mean experimental evidence, or armchair rationalization?
A correct mathematical proof based on an experimentally verified model of bridges and seemingly obvious assumptions about your particular bridge.
That doesn’t sound like the sort of thing a rationalist (in the sense Vaniver was using) would care for at all.
In practical terms, though, experience does frequently trump brilliance. This does not mean this is a good thing to have happened, only that it does. Experience makes one more likely to be good at competition.
Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.
-- Thomas Edison
Lacking sufficient inspiration, I shall reduce my perspiration until recommended ratio is met.
Have you considered LSD, for the inspiration? I mean, if the sources don’t matter, just the ratio...
I haven’t, but the suggestion seems overwhelmingly problematic to me. I don’t have any personal experience with LSD, but I don’t think it would be of great help in my present problem.
However, we could test this. If you have LSD and would like to try your hand at solving it, please let me know. I must say, though, I doubt you would find it to be an interesting problem in the first place.
Sorry, the only research I’ve heard of was about technical matters and implied it only worked for the person who had been thinking deeply about it.
Unfortunately, this will produce only a very small quantity of genius.
Yes, but it’s the best you can do sometimes. And the excess sweat would otherwise be wasted.
Not necessarily. You can always apply your excess perspiration to someone else’s excess inspiration (and then claim 99% of any resultant profits—assuming that you provide all the perspiration, of course).
Anecdotally, I seem to observe more excess inspiration than excess perspiration, so I don’t think that excess inspiration will be hard to find.
Hmm. Corollary:
Lacking sufficient perspiration, I shall reduce my inspiration until recommended ratio is met.
Eh. Doesn’t sound quite as awesome.
No, it doesn’t, but might be almost equally wise. Just as it doesn’t make sense to keep working hard without something worth working hard on, it probably doesn’t make sense to keep trying to come up with brilliant ideas if you’re already so awash in brilliant ideas that you can’t implement them all.
Caveat 1: If you can find better inspiration into which to direct your limited supply of perspiration, and don’t further deplete your capacity for perspiration in the process, it may still be a good idea to go for more inspiration.
Caveat 2: If you have a good way to sell your excess inspiration or buy more perspiration, and you have a strong comparative advantage in inspiration, you may want to do that, but selling inspiration is hard, as is buying good quality perspiration.
I think that Caveat #1 is extremely important here. Considering the amount of perspiration needed to turn inspiration into genius, it’s probably best to spend a bit of extra time searching for the best possible inspiration to which to direct your available supply of perspiration.
A true genius would do nothing and then steal the results of other people’s inspiration and perspiration.
OWAIT
— Kozma Prutkov
(translation mine)