Posted by
glen e. p. ropella-2 on
URL: http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/Game-theorists-hope-to-solve-world-s-crises-tp4100321p4103129.html
Quoting Robert J. Cordingley circa 09-12-02 02:54 PM:
> "Doubt is the antidote to fanaticism" but I don't recall who wrote it in
> the NYT. So I guess fanatic = wacko.
I'd say that a fanatic is a specific type of wacko, an enthusiastic
wacko that continually advocates for their pet beliefs. A wacko might
be totally convinced that their pet belief is true but might not be very
_enthused_ about that belief. Perhaps their commitment to the pet
belief leads them to continual states of paranoia, depression, or
isolation. Then they're not a fanatic; but they're still wacko. So
doubt is the antidote to many types of wacko, not just fanaticism.
It's also reasonable that a person can be a wacko without being totally
convinced, convicted, committed to some belief. The most fun example
would be the impredicative wacko (a wacko who is wacko because they're
not wacko). In my insistence that doubt and skepticism are the only
fundamental beliefs worth holding, you might be tempted to label me an
impredicative wacko. But since I believe doubt and skepticism are
_incomplete_ truths, I don't really qualify.
OK. I'll stop, now. Sorry. ;-)
--
glen e. p. ropella, 971-222-9095,
http://agent-based-modeling.com============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at
http://www.friam.org