Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Rick Julian who wrote (25527)	10/14/1998 3:47:00 AM
From: Dayuhan	Respond to of 108807

Rick, There are topics which offer degrees of certainty. Mathematics, of course, and most physical sciences, until we reach the point of incomprehensibility. History to a lesser degree. Nobody is certain about the stock market, but there is a reliable base for discussion (wouldn't it be great if preachers had to file with a spiritual SEC?). History, for example, is not knowable in the absolute, but it is certainly possible for one person to know more than another. I can state with some certainty that Alex knows more organic chemistry than I do, and that I know more Philippine history than he does. Religion is a bit different. Does a person who has memorized the bible know more about God than the pagan shaman? I doubt it. Religion is one topic where none of us "knows" anything, and all our speculations are on equal footing. Which is why pretension in that arena is unbecoming. In my opinion, at least. I think most of those who post here have a reasonably healthy degree of realization that what we think is only what we think. We may discuss it fairly passionately, but we the pretension rarely reaches the intolerable level of the dedicated religion threads. We're all a little pompous in these discussions; goes with the subject matter. Pretension is (IMHO) more controllable, with effort. In my own case, I suspect my DAR persona is more appealing, probably because most people are more appealing in casual chats then in abstract discussions. I'm probably at my best on Asia Forum, where at least I post about things I know something about. I babble. I'd better go home and make sure my house hasn't blown down. Big storm running. Steve