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Same. I emailed him about whether he'd ever met Margaret Mead, John C. Lilly, or Gregory Bateson in the 1960s while researching my book. I got this reply within
by benbreen 2y ago
Same. I emailed him about whether he'd ever met Margaret Mead, John C. Lilly, or Gregory Bateson in the 1960s while researching my book. I got this reply within hours:
"Afraid I never met any of those you mention, though I’ve followed their work for many years.
I’ve never been close to intellectual elite circles, including people I very much admire."
The time stamp for my email was Tuesday, Nov 26, 2019 at 2:19 PM. It was answered by chomsky@mit.edu at Tuesday, Nov 26, 2019 at 9:29 PM. Pretty remarkable.
- arresin 2y ago> I’ve never been close to intellectual elite circles That is very humble
- exe34 2y agois this sarcasm? I read it as "I'm not welcome to parties because I don't toe the line"
- arresin 2y agoNo, no sarcasm and that's how I read it too.
- vasco 2y agoSo how is it humble? He is just saying he didn't hobnob with known intellectuals - isn't that just a statement of fact?
- dotancohen 2y agoChomsky has very controversial opinions on some subjects and I suspect that precludes him being invited to many parties.
- DSingularity 2y agoProbably precludes him from accepting the invitations. You cant be anti-imperialist and accept a dinner invitation where you will inevitably be forced to smile at and rub elbows with the same men you critique as war-criminals. The man is principled. I hope he recovers. He would be sorely missed.
- exe34 2y ago> you will inevitably be forced to smile at and rub elbows with the same men you critique as war-criminals I'm autistic, so I would smile and tell them exactly what I think of them. but fortunately I don't get invited to parties.
- dotancohen 2y agoWhy not? He's supposedly anti-imperislist yet had no problem living in their society.
- DSingularity 2y agoWhere would you have him live? In an apartheid nation that rejects him so thoroughly that he might get assassinated by some right-wing hardliners for speaking out against the oppression? Seems that by your logic one who disagrees with an evil he sees in his society should leave immediately or commit to silence.
- exe34 2y agoi think it's the opposite of humble, it's saying that he knows something that these intellectuals don't.
- Scarblac 2y agoI don't understand how you can get any information from that line about the reasons why he wasn't close to them.