conversation
Sep. 13th, 2001 10:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cellioThere is an old joke about three people who are travelling together in the country when they see a field containing a single sheep, which is black. The first person says "interesting, in this place the sheep are black". The second corrects him: "in this place, one sheep is black". And then the third (usually a scientist of some sort) says "no, in this place, one side of one sheep is black".
An important, secondary consideration in understanding the joke is that the scientist doesn't necessary believe the sheep is only half-black -- but precision is important. (Some call this anal-retentive. To each his own.)
It has become apparent that too many people mistake exploration for belief, though. This is annoying. It reduces the set of topice on which I can have what ought to be an intelligent conversation.
An important, secondary consideration in understanding the joke is that the scientist doesn't necessary believe the sheep is only half-black -- but precision is important. (Some call this anal-retentive. To each his own.)
It has become apparent that too many people mistake exploration for belief, though. This is annoying. It reduces the set of topice on which I can have what ought to be an intelligent conversation.