Much of our scientific knowledge is based on measurement. In order to claim there’s a difference between two things, for example a control and a test, it helps to be able to standardize how we examine it. Without that standard, …
Wisdom-Seeking The other face of information-seeking is wisdom-seeking. There are many ways to define wisdom. I find it useful to contrast it with information. Information is pointed, discrete. It is “a difference that makes a difference,” something standing out against …
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My interest in errors of mechanical thinking is part of a broader curiosity. There are many ways to look at the world, as I see it. While treating its constituents, especially the living ones, as machines and expecting them to …
This is another essay in a series of explorations into what I’m calling “mechanical thinking.” By that, I mean the use of metaphors from the machine realm to describe people, things, and concepts that are organic in nature. When a …
Information-Seeking Imagine you awake on the floor in a pitch black room and you don’t know where you are, how you got there, or anything else about the situation. It could be said that you lack “information.” You could be …
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Today is the Winter Solstice, the day when the sun stretches out to its farthest point from the earth, pauses, and begins its return. I haven’t had time to write my regularly scheduled essays during the holiday season, so consider …
Mechanical Thinking 2: Wishing You an Unmechanical Holiday Read More »
This is the beginning of a series of explorations into what I’m calling “mechanical thinking.” By that, I mean the use of metaphors from the machine realm to describe people, things, and concepts that are organic in nature. Words are …
The Message and the Meaning Communication is the effort to convey meaning. When we think of communication, we probably imagine people talking to one another, and maybe reading messages that the other one wrote. Those are good examples, but there …
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In a previous post, I argued that a rigid outline isn’t viable for every writer. While there have been some great books and movies written beat-by-beat according to Campbell’s model of the Hero’s Journey, there are plenty of other great …
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The One, The Only, The All In our effort to completely eliminate sloppy thinking, to leave no fallacy unturned, we arrive at the All. This complete inclusion of being is tough to talk about. What can we say about something …
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