We don’t know that we don’t know
That’s why beginners think they are experts (Dunning-Kruger effect).
They DON’T KNOW how much more there is to know — therefore they think they know ALL there is to know — therefore they think they are experts
But Dunning-Kruger effect is known, go read about it,
My point is that this principle holds even on a MICRO-SCALE
“More than half the supply of palladium and its congener platinum is used in catalytic converters, which convert as much as 90% of the harmful gases in automobile exhaust (hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide) into nontoxic substances (nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water vapor). “
Depending on your background, you understood none of it, all of it, or some of it
Most likely you understood at least SOME of it
For sure you understood most words
Maybe you understand some of those concepts
Etc.
Now here’s the problem,
EVEN if you didn’t understand 100% of it — you FILL THE GAPS
You fill the gaps you don’t understand
E.g. what the fuck is “catalytic converter”?
You probably don’t know
Does it completely preclude understanding of that sentence?
No
But do you TRULY understand this sentence?
No
And it’s ok
But the problem lies with the fact that you’re not profoundly aware, profoundly SERIOUS — about this INCOMPLETENESS of your understanding
The problem is that it’s reflexive to you to fill the gaps
Which I suppose is understandable
Navigating in this opaque world, NEVER transparent, never in the comfort of complete information — OF COURSE you fill the gaps all the time
And EVEN IF you could have ALL the knowledge under the sun — you still would lack processing power to be able to make use of it — to make the best decisions.
But you don’t have all the knowledge anyway
And foremost — most important decisions of your life — will not require extreme precision
What is most important?
Staying alive
Reproducing
That’s your biological imperative
Not particularly complicated in general (though we can overcomplicate it all we want)
So Dunning-Kruger effect is even deeper
It’s almost a PREREQUISITE to survive
Because it’s a PREREQUISITE TO ACT,
To do what is necessary — DESPITE having no certainty in it’s success
And it also means you’re even MORE stupid than you thought
Being aware of the BIASES avails you little
You can’t even HEAR a single SENTENCE without RELAPSING to epistemic simplification
Indeed,
When it’s time to act — it’s time to ACT.
Meaning TRUTH is secondary — because action must be taken
And indeed OUTCOME of that action will reveal that truth,
BUT,
When it’s time to INVESTIGATE THE TRUTH — then THE TRUTH is indeed the priority
Meaning you can’t afford your little biases
Including action bias
Including optimism bias, overconfidence effect
Including hasty generalisations
Including vagueness
etc
When truth is concerned — you can’t NOT know ANY part (that can be known)
When you talk to someone — you can’t understand HALF of what they say. That’s not a conversation
When you read something — you can’t just understand half of the text. What if the other half is where the SUBSTANCE is?
When you study something — you can’t half-know. There’s only facts you know 100%, knowledge you know 100% — and the rest you JUST DON’T KNOW.
What I mean is — when you’re exploring body of KNOWLEDGE already created by your predecessors — there’s NOT YET any room for a facile dispute. That comes AFTER you know the FUNDAMENTALS. Right now it’s NOT subjective. Right now you study OBJECTIVE body of knowledge. EVEN if that knowledge itself is not complete and not infallible. But you don’t do away your ignorance by claiming to have “different ideas”, or “limits of knowledge”.
FIRST YOU LEARN WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN
Act when it’s time to act
Whether you’re confident or not, actions must be taken, life must be lived, and then you die
But when you pursue truth — you LEARN all there is to LEARN
You “fill the gaps” when you TRULY can’t find the answers
But if you can — you DON’T fill the gaps
That’s just stupid, ignorant
Be aware of it
You may become far less stupid
Quite brilliant, to be honest
Perhaps the essence of deep thinking is merely ACTUALLY merely thinking in high-resolution, without filling the gaps with nonsense, needless oversimplifications