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Stephen Fry on binary choices
- CapitalistCartr 17y agoWow, do I know his feeling. I call it 'Coke/Pepsi' binary thinking. The notion that the World is essentially binary, instead of a multi-dimensional varied landscape of gradients.
- Legion 17y agoI hear you. I loved Coke and hated Pepsi. But then Throwback Pepsi comes along and it's like, my mind is blown.
- lurkinggrue 17y agoMy problem with Pepsi is I am not fond of the taste of Pepto-Bismol. But then on the whole Coke/Pepsi argument I am more a Dr. Pepper drinker.
- pasbesoin 17y agoWintergreen mint
- axod 17y agoThe musical "Wicked" puts some of this sort of thinking well, and definitely the book on which it was based. From the song 'Wonderful' - "There are precious few at ease with moral ambiguities, so they act as if they don't exist". But that thinking starts so early on. Most movies I watch with my 4yr old son now, he'll ask "Is he a baddie", "Is he a goodie".
- bjelkeman-again 17y agoI often think that the urge to group the world in binary choices are a result of a mind overwhelmed by complexity. There are too many choices, too many things to understand well to see the grey scales. The ability to abstract the complexity into simple choices is a matter of survival. It is often said that a great commander in a war makes the right choices quickly, but to survive it is often enough to keep making choices. Attack or retreat? Standing still means the enemy has the initiative and this will kill you. Maybe the ability to abstract complex dilemmas down to Coke/Pepsi choices is a survival tactic which worked well. :)
- naner 17y agoI often find myself in agreement with Fry's seemingly incompatible interests. Like his appreciation for the Free Software movement[1] as well as Apple's achievements[2]. [1]: http://www.gnu.org/fry/ http://www.gnu.org/fry/ [2]: http://www.stephenfry.com/2010/01/28/ipad-about/ http://www.stephenfry.com/2010/01/28/ipad-about/
- mrtron 17y agoOther languages seem to have less binary options too.
- campnic 17y agoI think you are right. I think that an issue here is the assumed "more then others" so the question "Do you like the Beatles?" carries the connotation "Do you like the Beatles more than other bands?" Its a nuance of the language I think rather then an attempt to lock someone into an either or situation.
- RiderOfGiraffes 17y agoI'm reminded of this, written in May, 2007: http://www.solipsys.co.uk/new/TwoAndAHalfMen.html?HN http://www.solipsys.co.uk/new/TwoAndAHalfMen.html?HN
- Gormo 17y agoInteresting article, especially in referencing "The Two Cultures", which I had not encountered before. Modern "Geek" culture actually seems very adept at bridging that gap.
- mrvir 17y agoNever lived in the US, but getting an impression that the political system also contributes to this binary syndrome.
- shadowsun7 17y agoC.S.Lewis has had some clever things to say on the topic. There's this brilliant paragraph in Mere Christianity that goes: "… so many people cannot be brought to realise that when B is better than C, A may be even better than B. They like thinking in terms of good and bad, not of good, better, and best, or bad, worse and worst. They want to know whether you think patriotism a good thing: if you reply that it is, of course, far better than individual selfishness, but that it is inferior to universal charity and should always give way to universal charity when the two conflict, they think you are being evasive." Think this applies here, too.
- pointernil 17y agoWhen attending a serious dispute, try to throw in "You\We are both right!" Helps wonders.
- philiac 17y ago"You just quoted Family Guy" - I thought you liked The Simpsons I don't see how this relates to the rest of the examples.