3 ms·
> Trust me when I say he's intelligible. I shouldn't have to trust you, his writing should speak for itself. There are multiple reasons to write. One is to, y
by jimmywanger 10y ago
> Trust me when I say he's intelligible.
I shouldn't have to trust you, his writing should speak for itself.
There are multiple reasons to write. One is to, you know, actually communicate ideas. I guess that wasn't his goal.
Another reason is to virtue signal. "Hey, I know more big words than you do and can string them together, therefore I am cultured." Maybe that's his motive. His essay reads like every single post-modern paper that dresses up simple ideas in big words to try to make them seem profound.
Like putting spinning rims on a Toyota Corolla.
- bordercases 10y agoRhetoric has been a key part of communication for quite literally epochs and is used to entertain us while making a point. I think that may be where the difference between us lies. Taleb has an axe to grind and is quite boisterous about it. For me watching Taleb go is like watching an intellectual WWF, the showmanship itself is thrilling and aggressive. For someone who brands himself as, and in terms of his ideas actually is, a contrarian, this aesthetic befits the material. But I understand if that's a turn off for some. Either way I don't think it's something to become upset about.
- bertiewhykovich 10y agoI'm almost positive that's not what virtue signaling means.