Philosophy

When You Know They’re Wrong But Can’t Prove It

Knowing that something IS,

and knowing HOW it is,

are two different things, obviously.

Knowing that something WORKS,

vs knowing HOW IT WORKS,

are two different things, obviously.

 

This “obvious” truth is already great wisdom

Even greater wisdom is understanding the full consequences of it

 

A major epistemic consequence are the various common fallacies and biases which result from not understanding that difference,

-confusion of practitioners and theoreticians

-players and commentators

-talking about subject and understanding the subject,

etc

 

An even more common, yet perhaps EVEN MORE obscure — is how it becomes a DIALECTIC OBSTACLE

Dialectic is the art of investigating or discussing the truth of opinions. Its TRUTH-pursuing

Now, when you already think you’ve got that truth — it’s bad enough. Hard enough now to try to convince you that you’re wrong

Now, imagine that you KNOW you’re right… but CAN’T fucking explain it

 

Which… happens all the time, actually

It happens all the time,

Sometimes you’re only slightly more accurate in your judgement, while still in an inferior arguing position

Again, KNOWING HOW something works, or WHY it’s right — is different to knowing that it IS RIGHT

And it WILL happen

 

And when it happens, of course you are frustrated, are you not

Now, who cares if you’re frustrated

Problem is – in your frustration — you compromise your integrity

You start CONVINCING — instead of STUDYING

You become a politician, a salesman, a debater — instead of an academic, a philosopher, or even a pragmatic practitioner,

 

Now, what to do with it?

There’s nothing you can do, actually

Not much

We all know a little

But some know even less

We all have different experiences and different opinions

We all have different goals, and different means of attaining them

We all have our biases, and our preferences

And the fact that you can be RIGHT for WRONG reasons — or someone can be WRONG despite right arguments — makes it all that more confusing

And finally,

the fact that we can’t just AGREE TO DISAGREE, as though it’s some fancy matter of philosophy — is the final nail in the coffin,

because DECISIONS MUST BE MADE,

 

DECISIONS MUST BE MADE

an decisions have consequences

so if you could even let slip someone’s folly,

you are less inclined to do so — if you KNOW it shall impact you adversely

 

…and so you become frustrated,

you know you’re right — but you lack arguments,

and you compromise

 

And of course this is the worst thing

For having compromised once — you are now more likely to compromise again,

it’s all good when you’re still on the right,

I becomes very, very, VERY problematic — when you’re wrong,

but you just say:

“I’m not really wrong. I KNOW I’m right”

 

So what to do, again?

Nothing

Let the chips fall where they may

Take MAXIMUM RESPONSIBILITY,

So that you DON’T HAVE TO convince others

And that’s all you can do

Once you meet the consequences of your actions — is when you know you were right

Or wrong

 

Indeed,

If you can’t agree — maybe don’t try

Maybe just take more responsibility

And do it YOUR way

And get it done

 

And if you want to collaborate

Then collaborate

Just understand that there will be disagreement,

TRULY understand it

Which means accepting that people will NOT listen to you — and FUCK UP

Or that you won’t listen to them — and you’ll FUCK UP

Or that you will listen to them — and FUCK UP

And it will take a while before you know whose right

And it is what it is

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