David McFadzean wrote:
>
> So what's wrong with putting some deceased great author on a
pedestal
> and saying "man, this cat churned out some really mind-blowing
stuff"?
>
Robin Faichney replied:
Absolutely nothing, as long as noone is encouraged
to think that person is somehow special, and that
"ordinary mortals" couldn't ever churn out really
mind-blowing stuff. Which means it's probably OK
within CoV, I suppose. Probably...
Nate Gifford writes:
I think there is a problem here with how you classify the universe
of mind-blowing stuff. In particular I don't think it is atomic.
Given the set of all mind-blowing stuff I believe there exists for
every individual a subset which that individual couldn't generate. To deny
this says there exists an individual who is capable of succeeding at
everything they attempt. I prove this individual cannot exist by induction
... that individual has not yet existed and so will never exist.
Given that world is divided into sets of people with particular
talents ... the next reason why "ordinary mortals" are unable to exercise
their talents is circumstance. Its pretty hard to do philosophy when you're
starving to death ... although Karl Marx seemed to manage it. It seems to
me to be born in a circumstance where you are unable to develop a talent is
equivalent to being born without the talent. The point being that the
majority of people on earth today are simply not literate enough to churn
out mind-blowing stuff.
Once you have talent, and opportunity, you still need desire. For
instance people tell me that my wife used to be a very talented piano
player. She certainly has the time an money for lessons, but she says she
got burnt out when she was 18 or so and does not want to play anymore. The
same could be said for whatever other talent you wish to pick to generate
"mind blowing stuff".
So to say the people who generate the mind blowing stuff we all
enjoy ... like Bertrand Russel or Aldous Huxley, or Douglas Hofstadter are
not the vast exceptions to the rule is to <in my book> overvalue the great
amount of pure SHIT we all have to wade through in order to get our mind's
blown. It seems to me Robin, that you've been infected by some kind of
egalitarian meme that is distorting your vision. I suggest that you
alternate reading Jackie Collins and Willa Cather until you can tell the
difference. Alternatively perhaps there is no reason for me to go to the
Rockies to ski when there is snow and hills here in Ohio.