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TOOLSET
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INFORMAL FALLACY
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—Real dark.
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—Way ahead.
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—Much better!
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—YOU SHOULDN'T!
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Denying
the Antecedent, Affirming the Consequent — Playing
fast and loose with formal logic (simply reversing sides) is not
a game for children. Essentially, a sufficient condition is not
necessarily a necessary condition.
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NOTES TO MYSELF
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PSYCHOLOGICAL AGE
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CLASS
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[cultural
pretense & role playing] - People can get very mixed up -
They're continually upstaging you
- They switch from acting like their mother to acting like their
father at the drop of a hat, which is essentially crazy - Using
"good-natured" lies, they confuse having someone under
their thumb with liking them - Ask yourself, "What
does that have to do with me?" - It's not hard to do well if
you just know when to duck - People will lie, cheat & steal
to maintain the force of an illusion, in thrall of "their culture,"
awash in currents of "their family," gripped by undercurrents
of "correctness," drowning in overpowering "subtle
niceties" - You have to be careful what you say to an unhappy
person - People are into provoking because it's free
- What you have to figure out is not how to solve things, but how
to get out - They're always trying to start something - You have
to learn how to throw cold water on it when they're provoking -
Let's get off this subject - Don't fight with anyone - That's
one of the great tricks in life - It's called, "I don't have
any children, but if I did, they'd all listen to me."
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The Age of Detachment,
ages 16-19
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Murder
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Exactly what someone said
[or did]
... usually not very original.
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•
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The thoughts of a
"bad child"
... to free your mind again.
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TRICKS
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WINGS
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IDEAS
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"I feel like killing myself."
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—YOU SHOULDN'T!
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—The best way to kill yourself is old age ... Part of you
is like a salmon, struggling upstream, for the past; Part of you
is like a hummingbird, alighting upon memories, for the present;
Part of you is like a spider, spinning a cocoon at night, for the future
... It's such a great advantage to admit what's
in you. [See also stargate72,
Someone feeling suicidal]
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"Good morning!"
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—Way ahead.
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—I'd like to see that!
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"Sometimes in life you just got to take a chance."
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—Much better!
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—That's ancient wisdom.
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"You never know! – Sometimes life is just
full of surprises."
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—Way ahead.
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—You haven't been bad yet!
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"It is the peyote that imparts knowledge –
How will the children learn without peyote?"
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—Way ahead.
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—I just got my foot in the door!
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"Is it politically correct?"
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—Way ahead.
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—I'm a Cherokee, a Chippewa, a Big Shit, too!
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"It's too early in the morning."
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—Real dark.
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—I'm sure it's going to destroy someone, but I don't know who.
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"We want the dead to rest easy, knowing their obligations
are taken care of." [By friends and far relatives, right after they've
died] (–Michael Ginsberg of Kaulkin Ginsberg, a consulting company
to the debt collection industry)
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—Way ahead.
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—They have whole staffs of people to do things for them.
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"Hey short stuff!"
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—Way ahead.
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—Tell me if you get into trouble.
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"Don't sell yourself short."
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—YOU SHOULDN'T!
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—Grab every scrap of happiness you can.
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"I want to know why we should reward lousy management?"
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—YOU SHOULDN'T!
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—You have to realize it wasn't your fault. Scientifically, you just
lay it out.
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«What they don't want you to know about self defence»
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—Way ahead.
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—(1.) replace "fighting" reflex with words; (2.) artfully
"misconstrue" the intended meaning; (3.) they think there's
something in them that's extremely dangerous; (4.) they start exploding
with imitations of their parents; (5.) see them as "holding a stick";
(6.) let go of the stick; (7.) there are people who don't believe anything;
(8.) just leave off the fancy footwork; (9.) how can you struggle against
something if it's reality? (10.) keep it on the down-low; (11.) just what
makes sense; (12) don't you want to live life on your own terms?
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«Killing some1 in self defence
over verbal abuse»
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—YOU SHOULDN'T!
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—If you ever have trouble with a roommate, call the cops.
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«What is the sentence for someone who kills for self
defence»
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—YOU SHOULDN'T!
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—It is slow to understand things, to understand people.
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«Self defense isn't room clearing»
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—Much better!
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—I'm just going to stay with what I have ... Better to live in the
shadow of the castle.
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"Don't get defensive."
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—Way ahead.
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—Don't you agree?
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"What time do you go to work in the morning?"
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—Real dark.
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—I am a river.
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"What time do you come in in the morning?"
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—Real dark.
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—You must feel left out.
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["They're not very friendly."] "How many times
did you go there?" [To Chez Panisse Restaurant]
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—Way ahead.
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—I consider it a waste of time.
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"How many times have I told you to knock it off?"
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—YOU SHOULDN'T!
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—That's what counts, isn't it?
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"How many times has someone asked about this?"
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—Way ahead.
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—You're in the chips.
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"How many times did you go running around after
that?"
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—YOU SHOULDN'T!
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—Do as little as possible.
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"How many times have you read it?"
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—Way ahead.
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—I don't ... Every morning.
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"There are times I feel like killing you."
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—YOU SHOULDN'T!
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—No violence! We don't want any violence
– What did the Godfather say? Hold your enemies close.
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"How many times do I have to tell you?"
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—Way ahead.
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—What's new? Anything you want to add?
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"This is the third time I've asked you to do this."
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—YOU SHOULDN'T!
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—It's what you don't do that really helps you.
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"Well, do you know how to chase after girls? You
seem to always fail."
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—Way ahead.
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[See Icarus
and the Gutter Snipe]
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"Just try to have the nicest life you can."
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—Real dark.
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—I know – You have it down.
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"You're so immature."
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—Way ahead.
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—I've outgrown that.
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"You probably get money from your parents."
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—Way ahead.
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—Those days are gone forever.
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"I don't care where you come from."
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—Real dark.
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—Everyone talks where I come from.
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"Getting down and dirty!"
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—Real dark.
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—Which is one of the things people love to do.
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"Yeah, and now you're wearing diapers."
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—Way ahead.
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—All over your yard.
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"CAN I FINISH PLEASE? CAN I FINISH
PLEASE?" [Effectively hijacking the business meeting]
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—Much better!
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—I've got mine! Here's my note!
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"Are you using that?" [The cart]
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—Way ahead.
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—It's just free.
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"Again with the eating the Hershey bar – It's going to ruin
your appetite."
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—Way ahead.
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—Dirt cheap.
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"I put the PG&E bill on the dining room table
– I already paid it."
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—Much better!
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—This means you will have seven fat years and seven lean years.
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"You shouldn't generalize."
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—Way ahead.
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—As they say in Trenton, New Jersey, I'm not prejudiced about any
stereotypes – Jump up and grab God's toe.
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["See how she walks across the street without looking? ... a Californian."]
"We're not stereotyping or anything, are we?"
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—YOU SHOULDN'T!
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—It's amazing how naïve people are about things.
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"So, what's the damage?"
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—Way ahead.
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—This way you can downsize.
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"What's the damage?"
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—Way ahead.
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—No harm done.
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"Why do some children keep setting fires?"
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—YOU SHOULDN'T!
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—You wish you had a father that likes you – The solution
is to like yourself.
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"What's your poison?"
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—Way ahead.
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—If you only knew.
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"The thinker."
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—Real dark.
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—YOU!
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"You're early."
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—Real dark.
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—Wherever there are two Jews, there are three opinions.
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"You could never be a farmer – Farmers have to wake up early."
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—Real dark.
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—Very few people can make a living from art.
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"Well, then, if I just stay inside all day, you mean
I won't catch a cold?"
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—Way ahead.
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—You know, even I get tired of being good sometimes.
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"Well, then, if I just plain get sick, will that mean
I've already gone outside without my stupid sweater?"
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—YOU SHOULDN'T!
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—A rainbow of mental equipment.
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"I'm only laughing 'cause you're my boss."
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—YOU SHOULDN'T!
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—Except on rare occasions.
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"What's with all these questions? I'm going to start a meter back
here and charge you seventeen dollars."
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—Real dark.
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—Are you going to switch one lane to the left? ... Back to your
Chinese name? ... W-A-H! ... Wah! ... There's other people ... You're
fak-o; I'm real ... Knowledge, talent, and what do they call it? Experience
... ... My two grandfathers, my father, my teacher ... They all help me
... Preparation is everything ... Truth is stranger than fiction ... I'm
real ... You don't even know how to spell your own name.
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"I'm in charge – If I say do it, just do it!"
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—Way ahead.
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—I don't want to discuss tactical issues when we both have the same
overall strategy!
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"You take charge of it."
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—Much better!
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—Our due diligence process.
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"If you use my joke, I'm going to charge you."
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—YOU SHOULDN'T!
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—You boil the chicken until it can talk again!
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"I'm negotiating with Richard, here."
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—Way ahead.
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—I'm getting married tomorrow.
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"Say, 'Cheese!'"
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—Way ahead.
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—Spaghetti!
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"What kind of cheese?"
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—Much better!
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—Have it your way, Jack!
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"I know what you're feeling."
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—Real dark.
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—I know it's hard – a million things.
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"Are you feeling better?"
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—Much better!
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—A serious drinker is a serious worker.
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"How come you didn't marry a witch?"
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—Way ahead.
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—It's because Jupiter was lined up with Florida.
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"Are you illegitimate?"
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—Way ahead.
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—I am a poet.
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"Were you outsourced?"
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—Way ahead.
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—Another bridge to nowhere.
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"Hey, why didn't you get on the freeway there?"
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—YOU SHOULDN'T!
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—Don't blame me for being smart! Blame my family!
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"Is your arm better?"
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—Much better!
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—The luck of the Irish.
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"I hope you took notes – There'll be a quiz
next time."
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—Way ahead.
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—That's something to hope for.
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REFLECTIONS
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26-SEP-1999.
FANTASY
If you think you're better than other people,
then it's hard to like yourself.
You incorporated many of your parents' ideals
and values while you were still a child.
For example, if your parents didn't like thieves,
then you don't like thieves.
Part of you is a thief.
26-SEP-1999.
When a "Force of Nature" is Not Logical
Children frequently use switching sides as a fighting tactic in an argument,
like a sudden jujitsu move. However, simply reversing sides leads to a whole
textbook of informal fallacies. The syllogisms listed here incorrectly take
a sufficient condition for a necessary condition. In the expression,
IF "Something is true"
THEN "This follows."
"Something is true"
is called the ANTECEDENT.
"This follows"
is called the CONSEQUENT.
When a mother tells a child, "If you don't wear your sweater outside, you'll
catch a terrible cold," you are DENYING the ANTECEDENT if you ask something
like, "Well, then, if I just stay inside all day, you mean
I won't catch a cold?" (You stupid mother!) In this situation the mother
should recognize the child is DENYING the ANTECEDENT and respond ambivalently,
"—Way ahead."
Alternatively, if the mother repeats, "If you go outside without your nice
new sweater on, you really will get sick," you are AFFIRMING the CONSEQUENT
if you say something like "Well, then, if I just plain get
sick, will that mean I've already gone outside without my stupid sweater?" (You
stupid mother!) The mother would be well advised to admonish the child cheerfully
with something like,
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"—YOU SHOULDN'T!
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—A rainbow of mental equipment."
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The main thing to notice here is that without extraordinary practice, people
really don't have a chance to perform lexical analysis on the fly. However,
you can begin to notice where this kind of trouble comes from, and from that
understanding, make an immediate response.
First, begin to notice that most logical confoundment comes because a person
suddenly switched sides exactly the way a child would — They regressed
and said something childish (without adult logic).
Perhaps you, or both of you, become a "force of nature" (in discussions
of sex or of having a baby). Then if one of you says something like, "I'm
not going to talk to you unless you're being logical," and the other says
something back, like, "So, you'll never talk to me
again?" try to see beyond all this, that you'll both be back on
the street again as rational human beings earning an honest living.
Then you can immediately (and poetically) respond, "—Very
different."
In sex and in love, two people regress together, have fun, then shimmy into
two separate adults again. Try to see this as an enjoyable process rather than
as fertile grounds for a fight.
Second, begin to notice that most people do not provide adequate "establishing
shots." In cinematography, this is done by first showing a general scene
from way back (establishing a context), then moving or cutting in for fast action
or for close-ups. In much of modern communication, people are not skilled in
establishing a frame of reference. They "just say things."
One day a complete stranger said to me, "Is your arm
better?" Seeing this as a logical challenge, I immediately responded, "—Much
better!" but had no idea what he had been talking about until twenty
minutes later. He had forgotten to establish the shared memory we had of me
walking my dogs in Berkeley's Aquatic Park, when, whoosh! his Frisbee
had sailed close by, and how I had yanked my arm back into my sleeve, like a
turtle, as if the disk had sliced it off! He and all his friends had laughed,
and we had continued our separate ways.
Now, for one thing, there were four of them, who were behind me, so I hadn't
noticed any one of them in particular. Next, they were in the company of their
own camaraderie, so they had probably been regressing (into childhood happiness).
And finally, I had been walking at a very different speed from them, and in
a different direction. Nothing was really wrong with my arm.
So I had nothing, really, to help me remember when two weeks later this stranger
said, "Is your arm better?"
Always keep in mind that when communication breaks down, one or many of you
are probably regressing, and there's nothing wrong with that. It's just sometimes
you have to be an adult.
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"Hey, why didn't you get on the freeway
there?"
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—YOU SHOULDN'T!
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—Don't blame me for being smart! Blame
my family!
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19-OCT-2012.
As follows
CODE WORDS: arm,
'cause, charge, chase, cheese, damage, defensive, diapers, dining, early, feeling,
finish, fires, freeway, from, generalize, getting, illegitimate, immature, inside,
morning, myself, negotiating, obligations, outsourced, peyote, plain, poison,
politically, quiz, reward, ruin, seem, self, short, some1, sometimes, stereotyping,
surprises, there'll, thinker, third, times, using, witch
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LIX
Ophiuchus
"Serpent holder"
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—Way ahead.
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