stupidity vs. stupidity
Ken Mogi posted something absolutely brilliant today:
I think there are two kinds of stupidities. In one, you try to protect yourself. By looking down on others, for example. In the other, you don’t protect yourself. You just do whatever urges you, and get hurt, ridiculed, and quite often misunderstood. It is the second type of stupidity that I very much adore.
I am always after the stupidity of the second kind, and shy away from the first. I would like to remain stupid, for the rest of my life. I would never stoop so low as to regard myself invincible, morally impeccable, or pride on saying the right thing at the appropriate time. I would like to drop a lot of bricks.
It reminded me of this quote by Nassim Taleb:
Greatness starts with the absence of shame for one's imperfections & small defects.
And yet, Mogi's way of putting it is so much better! Some of the commenters on his blog brought up pride and humility. I think the pride and humility dichotomy is kind of rubbish. I like Ken Mogi's antidichotomy, which imples we are always stupid, and merely have a choice between kinds of stupidity.
I think there are two kinds of stupidities. In one, you try to protect yourself. By looking down on others, for example. In the other, you don’t protect yourself. You just do whatever urges you, and get hurt, ridiculed, and quite often misunderstood. It is the second type of stupidity that I very much adore.
I am always after the stupidity of the second kind, and shy away from the first. I would like to remain stupid, for the rest of my life. I would never stoop so low as to regard myself invincible, morally impeccable, or pride on saying the right thing at the appropriate time. I would like to drop a lot of bricks.
It reminded me of this quote by Nassim Taleb:
Greatness starts with the absence of shame for one's imperfections & small defects.
And yet, Mogi's way of putting it is so much better! Some of the commenters on his blog brought up pride and humility. I think the pride and humility dichotomy is kind of rubbish. I like Ken Mogi's antidichotomy, which imples we are always stupid, and merely have a choice between kinds of stupidity.