Nothing exists independently. Everything is causally connected. So although I’m making a point about truth here because I think it’s a case where failing to understand this interconnectedness matters, it’s a fully general point.
Perhaps the real problem is I didn’t try to convince folks in this post of this, rather than focusing on a specific consequences that I think is rather important for folks who read Less Wrong.
It’s not clear to me how this was intended as a respose to my comment. Was it “I reject that hypothesis because...” or “no you’re misunderstanding what’s being said” or...?
But it seems to me that the biggest problem with the post is likely one of two things:
You’re not yourself confusing the quotation with the referent, but you write in a way that doesn’t clearly distinguish them. This makes some readers think you’re confusing them. Perhaps it makes other readers think you’re saying something deep.
If this is the problem, then explaining why you’re making the point you’re making might be helpful. But I suggest it would be more helpful to make the point you’re making clearer, and that explicitly distinguishing quotation from referent would help with that.
You are confusing the quotation with the referent. For example, when you say “I’m making a point about truth here”, you think you are indeed making a point about truth; whereas I (and I believe gjm) claim you are making a point about the word “truth”. I read you as saying to gjm “yeah you understand what I’m saying, you just don’t think it’s very interesting, that’s fine, other people do”. Perhaps so, but another possibility I have to consider is that you yourself misunderstand what you’re making a point about, and misunderstand gjm when he tries to explain.
Nothing exists independently. Everything is causally connected. So although I’m making a point about truth here because I think it’s a case where failing to understand this interconnectedness matters, it’s a fully general point.
Perhaps the real problem is I didn’t try to convince folks in this post of this, rather than focusing on a specific consequences that I think is rather important for folks who read Less Wrong.
It’s not clear to me how this was intended as a respose to my comment. Was it “I reject that hypothesis because...” or “no you’re misunderstanding what’s being said” or...?
But it seems to me that the biggest problem with the post is likely one of two things:
You’re not yourself confusing the quotation with the referent, but you write in a way that doesn’t clearly distinguish them. This makes some readers think you’re confusing them. Perhaps it makes other readers think you’re saying something deep.
If this is the problem, then explaining why you’re making the point you’re making might be helpful. But I suggest it would be more helpful to make the point you’re making clearer, and that explicitly distinguishing quotation from referent would help with that.
You are confusing the quotation with the referent. For example, when you say “I’m making a point about truth here”, you think you are indeed making a point about truth; whereas I (and I believe gjm) claim you are making a point about the word “truth”. I read you as saying to gjm “yeah you understand what I’m saying, you just don’t think it’s very interesting, that’s fine, other people do”. Perhaps so, but another possibility I have to consider is that you yourself misunderstand what you’re making a point about, and misunderstand gjm when he tries to explain.
All I can do is point; you have to look for yourself.
My previous comment reflects the fact that I think there’s a big inferential gap here caused by having not tackled another topic.