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Psychoactive1984
PositiveCynicist
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To Generalize or to Specify?
#3867357 - 03/04/05 11:06 AM (19 years, 29 days ago) |
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Which is better to use in terms of rationalization and explanation of philosophical contexts, communication, and over all daily life?
To generalize is to be abstract, to be in the realm of the mind, to waiver from statistical methods of qualification, and such that not to rely on any authorities but the individual in question.
To specify is to rely on accepted truths; it's to be used to quantify, and evaluate our lifestyles, to measure, define, and to describe that which is tangible.
Which is better in terms of communicating facts and ideas in your opinions (either or please, and provide your reasoning)
Example: Cupa: A cup of something
(Scattered Dialogue, don't care to Person A, Person B it)
Generalized: Wanna go have a cupa? Yeah, let's go get a cupa, I sure could use one about now. (not the degree of open ended conversation within the context of it's use)
Specific: Want to go get a cup of coffee? I don't drink coffee. Ok, how about a cup of tea then?
Note, I'm leaving it open ended for terms of discussion, see how far you can take it.
-------------------- "Their is one overriding question that concerns us all: How can we get out of the fatal groove we are in, the one that is leading towards the brink?" Albert Szent-Gyorgyi "We may not be capable of eradicating the corruption of reason, but we must nevertheless counter it at every instance and with every means." Dan Agin "Politics is the best religion and politicians are the worst followers." -It's ok to trip as long as you don't fall. -Substance over Style. -Common sense is uncommon.
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gettinjiggywithit
jiggy
Registered: 07/20/04
Posts: 7,469
Loc: Heart of Laughter
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I think literal specifics are far more efficient, and create less misunderstandings and confusion and frustration.
I raised my daughter to be literal , I mean exactly what I say as I say it with her so we would have clear and concise communications with little or next to no misunderstandings, confusion and frustration. It works for us but when she's out and about in a non specific world that says things it doesn't mean all hell breaks loose.
For a time she was at this school, age 6, a boy at her table had to "move his clip" in the second week for doing something wrong which means his parents would be notified. My daughter came home VERY upset and said she was anxious about not knowing if she new all of the rules and was terrified of breaking one. I asked her why as she was so upset.
She said that when the boy sat back down from moving his clip, he cried in a mumble, "MY MOM is going to KILL me."
She took that literally. So, my daughter thought that your mom kills you if you break a rule and have to move your clip, until I cleared up the misunderstanding with literal specifics again.
It's funny from hindsight but it wasn't for her at the time.
-------------------- Ahuwale ka nane huna.
Edited by gettinjiggywithit (03/04/05 11:51 AM)
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deafpanda
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Yeah, that's very important for kids. I remember believing some stupid shit when I was little because adults never made themselves clear enough.
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Jon
Registered: 06/28/03
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I think to specify, is to fragment from one true generalization. One I like to use is that, people who study to be smart and happy dont become smart and happy because they find they overspeculated a general issue. "Ignorance is Bliss" Smart people are just working harder toward a goal of being retarted, and happy. Thats just my way of saying ive givin up
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the_phoenix
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Quote:
Psychoactive1984 said: Which is better in terms of communicating facts and ideas in your opinions (either or please, and provide your reasoning)
First you need to consider the (fundamental/conventional) nature of the person explaining, and then the nature of the person to whom the explanation is directed. And is the person specifically asking for specifics or for generalities, or is his question not so precise? When explained in absolutely general terms and then in absolutely specific terms, a concept will be expressed as a pair of opposites.
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MAIA
World-BridgerKartikeya (DftS)
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Re: To Generalize or to Specify? [Re: the_phoenix]
#3867912 - 03/04/05 01:14 PM (19 years, 29 days ago) |
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-------------------- Spiritual being, living a human experience ... The Shroomery Mandala Use, do not abuse; neither abstinence nor excess ever renders man happy. Voltaire
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Psychoactive1984
PositiveCynicist
Registered: 02/06/05
Posts: 3,546
Loc: California, Monterey Coun...
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Re: To Generalize or to Specify? [Re: the_phoenix]
#3867947 - 03/04/05 01:21 PM (19 years, 29 days ago) |
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Quote:
the_phoenix said:
Quote:
Psychoactive1984 said: Which is better in terms of communicating facts and ideas in your opinions (either or please, and provide your reasoning)
First you need to consider the (fundamental/conventional) nature of the person explaining, and then the nature of the person to whom the explanation is directed. And is the person specifically asking for specifics or for generalities, or is his question not so precise? When explained in absolutely general terms and then in absolutely specific terms, a concept will be expressed as a pair of opposites.
It's as precise as you make it. No holds barred, up for discussion. Why don't you set the parameters, and give us a specific scenario to evaluate whether to be precise or to generalize then? And the benefit for doing so of course.
-------------------- "Their is one overriding question that concerns us all: How can we get out of the fatal groove we are in, the one that is leading towards the brink?" Albert Szent-Gyorgyi "We may not be capable of eradicating the corruption of reason, but we must nevertheless counter it at every instance and with every means." Dan Agin "Politics is the best religion and politicians are the worst followers." -It's ok to trip as long as you don't fall. -Substance over Style. -Common sense is uncommon.
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the_phoenix
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Registered: 07/07/04
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Just yesterday a guest speaker came to talk in a spirituality club I'm a member of at college. I asked if Krishna advocates ascetism. He replied that it doesn't work like that. He said I should always have Krishna on my mind, and relate everything I do back to him. He gave me a few examples that I really didn't understand (his English wasn't perfect). Finally he said that that it's not a matter of following a law or not, because then you do so blindly. He explained that as I develope my spirituality, I will naturally desire less and less and become more ascetic, emphasis on the fact that it's something that will arise naturally. He couldn't just say that yes Krishna does advocate ascetism because he misjudged my level of understanding. He feared that I would blindly follow what he said and strive towards ascetism for the wrong reasons. But in reality I already understood that when I change my character I should do so in a way that the changes arise naturally, instead of forced onto me. In this case he was specific when he should have been more general...he failed to realize that I already understood the specifics, and as a result I barely understood that his answer was ultimately "yes". This shows that he was talking to me from a perspective quite fundamental, in that he understood both the generalities and the specifics of the matter, but also somewhat conventional in that he failed to accurately assess my level of fundamentality/conventionality.
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Psychoactive1984
PositiveCynicist
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Re: To Generalize or to Specify? [Re: the_phoenix]
#3868022 - 03/04/05 01:40 PM (19 years, 29 days ago) |
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/flips a coin.
So, which side would have helped best in a situation regarding that? Or...
-------------------- "Their is one overriding question that concerns us all: How can we get out of the fatal groove we are in, the one that is leading towards the brink?" Albert Szent-Gyorgyi "We may not be capable of eradicating the corruption of reason, but we must nevertheless counter it at every instance and with every means." Dan Agin "Politics is the best religion and politicians are the worst followers." -It's ok to trip as long as you don't fall. -Substance over Style. -Common sense is uncommon.
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the_phoenix
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He should have been more general.
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