"My epistemological question is this - what do we know about knowing they don't? What is our procedural epistemology - if we don't have one, are we just smug not-quite so lackwits?"
At the age of 11, I began to work on step 5), but I never completely stopped cycling through steps 1-4)... 5) Work on clarity of thought and expression. Your thoughts are based upon your vocabulary and understanding of dictionary meanings which allow you to understand (mostly) what others intended you to think through their choice of words. Study sentence structure and parsing. Practice discourse, attempt rhetoric, and avoid arguments since they are a sure sign that you are letting your ego misguide you away from caution. Be a wimp! I failed to follow the path of the hopeless coward, and paid heavily for my error. So "clarity" includes convincingly pretending that you think something entirely different from your actual thoughts. Tailor your expressiveness to conform to the requirements of a situation. Avoid the impulse to be popular, be DULL and uninteresting, beneath notice! Notice the behavior of others around you, the braggarts, the shy ones, the popular and the despised. Don't stand out! The one exception is for the standardized tests required for entrance to institutions of higher learning, and major tests. Be a curve breaker! Make them all wonder how in HELL you are cheating so much that your score is the top of the class! 6) Learn logical reasoning, especially the difference between necessary and sufficient. Engrave the precept of "Occam's Razor" upon your chest (metaphorically, not as a tattoo) and follow it faithfully but not obsessively. Keep an eye out for others who reason logically for they are your natural enemies or allies. The run of the mill who can't tell the difference between inclusion and exclusion in a set are of no concern. Recall steps 1-5 and gain experience at incoherence and confusion when appropriate... Congratulations! You are now qualified to be labeled as "That queer duck who acts like Spock." Lonnie Courtney Clay -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Epistemology" group. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/epistemology/-/MDFfYWZfQkNIWklK. To post to this group, send email to epistemology@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to epistemology+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/epistemology?hl=en.
