MeTo attacks Lawrence Krauss

[Brazilian HKD]

Taleb is actually the son of a priest. He is agnostic but believes religions have very strong skin in the game and therefore are very useful. He hates protestantism tho

 

[Brazilian HKD]

From Sam Harris... Wow... This has to be one of the most powerful examples of projection EVER.

Perfect commentary. He just needed to call Taleb a Ben Stiller looking goof and that would have been he final nail in the coffin

 

[Islam Imamate]

There's no passion in calling Shermer and Harris "fraudsters." That's what people do when they feel like they have been obliterated in an argument. It's not like there is a shortage of legitimate criticism of Harris- less so Shermer, apart from the personal issues- but no reason to scream fraud, like a child.

To be fair it seems like Sam started it with his less than flattering characterization of Taleb. Not saying Sam is even wrong necessarily but right or wrong you gotta expect someone is going to fire back when you throw shade like that.

 

[JonesBones]

Taleb is actually the son of a priest. He is agnostic but believes religions have very strong skin in the game and therefore are very useful. He hates protestantism tho

Yes, he has a very diverse experience growing up in the middle east.

 

[Brazilian HKD]

Ya, I believe I read a response in the comment section that said, "ahahahahaha" to that. Krauss is being dumb already. His only statement so far is that this is all false and people are just doing it cuz he is successful and famous.

People were saying Taleb is arrogant. You know what arrogance is? Saying your morals are objective and backed by science. Have you noticed how much Harris, Shermer and Pinker focus a lot on ethics? On what people should be doing. This points to them being authoritarians at heart. Why are they so interested in ethics? Because they want everyone to share theirs. Shermer wrote a book saying how Science makes us better people. It just needs to stop.

Like a recent Shermer tweet showed part of his book collection and it was all books on morality and ethics. He is obsessed with how other people should live their lives.

Isnt Shermers degree from a joke university like peppermint or something?

 

[BKMMAFAN]

Is that tweet somehow astonishingly atypical for this guy? Because that's the kind of shit you read in the Dump, or hear from a drunk sophomore.

That's a main thing that emanates from Taleb to me as well. He's an intellectual Trump. He belittles, is often obtuse when he does so, and revels in praise. Off putting to me.

I also don't buy much of his criticism of GMOs. I think he over emphasizes his black swan argument when he continuously decries Monsanto. He reminds me of a chicken little with an education. Cleary enjoys predicting doom since we can't foresee all possible effects. He's the opposite of Pinker in that respect

 

[JonesBones]

Isnt Shermers degree from a joke university like

peppermint or something?

Shermer has no relevant degree to speak of. Maybe some ungrad psych work.

These people don't change. Shermer used to be a hardcore Christian. Now you just make him an atheist and he still acts blindly like he did with Christianity. His bias has just been transplanted to something else.

"If any one become a proselyte, he is like a child new born ;”

It has long been observed, that an atheist has no just reason for endeavouring conversions; and yet none harass those minds which they can influence, with more importunity of solicitation to adopt their opinions. In proportion as they doubt the truth of their own doctrines, they are desirous to gain the attestation of another understanding: and industriously labour to win a proselyte, and eagerly catch at the slightest pretence to dignify their sect with a distinguished name.

• Samuel Johnson,

 

[JonesBones]

That's a main thing that emanates from Taleb to me as well. He's an intellectual Trump. He belittles, is often obtuse when he does so, and revels in praise. Off putting to me.

I also don't buy much of his criticism of GMOs. I think he over emphasizes his black swan argument when he continuously decries Monsanto. He reminds me of a chicken little with an education. Cleary enjoys predicting doom since we can't foresee all possible effects. He's the opposite of Pinker in that respect

Because Dawkins, Harris, etc never slander other people.

Yes, Pinker has a naive view that the very flow of time is progress. It is very christian. Like heaven is coming.

Taleb wants economists to be sued for what they do. And I agree. People who cause this mess should be held accountable. We are owed damages. He is sick of dumbasses ruining shit.

 

[JonesBones]

Good post.

It's curious that an industry built on smug condescension and glorification of one's own intellect could possibly correlate with being manipulative or predatory in other areas of life.

Nice theory but I have another: smart people often have bad social skills. The unabomber was a genius. Was a Harvard student at like 16. But has the emotional/social age of about 10. He is an outcast even with people his own age. Now put him with kids even older. We only seem to see the intelligence part and not the social part.

Honestly, at least some of these allegations against people are just people who dont understand social cues. They think the girl is into it but she isnt.

 

[Trotsky]

Nice theory but I have another: smart people often have bad social skills. The unabomber was a genius. Was a Harvard student at like 16. But the has the emotional/social age of about 10. He is an outcast even with people his own age. Now put him with kids even older. We only seem to the the intelligence part and not the social part.

Honestly, at least some of these allegations against people are just people who dont understand social cues.

Whether you've had experience with uneducated persons of the white, black, or brown lower classes, you've likely seen that predatory and boorish treatment of women correlates heavily and negatively with intellect. Say what you will about the old boys club element of some advanced professions, but just about every collection of "smart" people that I have come into contact with have far, far better contemporary understandings of respecting women than uneducated persons.

Also, the subset of people you are describing would seem to be savants due in some small part to their placement on the autism spectrum. Otherwise, understanding of social cues tends to correlate positively with intelligence, and I have no doubt that all of these #MeToo-affected scientists and social scientists have better-than-average social skills.

 

[JonesBones]

To be fair it seems like Sam started it with his less than flattering characterization of Taleb. Not saying Sam is even wrong necessarily but right or wrong you gotta expect someone is going to fire back when you throw shade like that.

Harris turns people aggressive through his microaggresions. lol. Look at how quickly he pissed off Chomsky. lol. People simply don't want to hear his shit. They are sick of it.

 

[JonesBones]

Whether you've had experience with uneducated persons of the white, black, or brown lower classes, you've likely seen that predatory and boorish treatment of women correlates heavily and negatively with intellect. Say what you will about the old boys club element of some advanced professions, but just about every collection of "smart" people that I have come into contact with have far, far better contemporary understandings of respecting women than uneducated persons.

Also, the subset of people you are describing would seem to be savants due in some small part to their placement on the autism spectrum. Otherwise, understanding of social cues tends to correlate positively with intelligence, and I have no doubt that all of these #MeToo-affected scientists and social scientists have better-than-average social skills.

This reminds me of somebody saying that when poor people have a lot of kids they are "breeding like rabbits" but when a rich person does, they "have been blessed with a large family."

Newton, Tesla and Kant died virgins. Guys like that have no idea about women. As Newton said, he can calculate the motions of the heavens but not the madness of people. People are harder to understand.

Richard Dawkins is a perfect example of this. His human skills are terrible. He can write a brilliant book and then write a Dana White like tweet.

 

[Fawlty]

Perfect commentary. He just needed to call Taleb a Ben Stiller looking goof and that would have been he final nail in the coffin

Don't agree, but this still cracked me up lol

 

[ShinkanPo]

Here is a tweet by vocal atheist and scientist Sean Carroll. Is he trying to bring atheism down too?

Atheism of Peace!

 

[Tycho- Taylor's Version]

Is that tweet somehow astonishingly atypical for this guy? Because that's the kind of shit you read in the Dump, or hear from a drunk sophomore.

Taleb's twitter is about 50% respectable insight and 50% nutjob ranting, and it's not always easy to tell which is which.

It's like if you combined John Maynard Keynes and Tommy Wiseau and let the product loose on social media.

 

[jeffk]

None. Religion is not of interest to him. His battle with Pinker and these guys has nothing to do with religion. He is just annoyed by pop scientists spouting bullshit. Though he does like Dawkins and thinks The Selfish Gene is brilliant.

Pinker is not a pop scientist. He works in the Department of Psychology at Harvard and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Harris doesn't even call himself an atheist, so I don't see how him promoting group atheism. Most of his podcast shows don't deal with atheism. If they do, it isn't the main issue of the podcast.

A quote from a few years back:

"I didn’t even use the term in The End of Faith, which remains my most substantial criticism of religion. And, as I argued briefly in Letter to a Christian Nation, I think that “atheist” is a term that we do not need, in the same way that we don’t need a word for someone who rejects astrology."

 

[jeffk]

I believe but am not certain that Harris said he was going to have Sean Carroll in an upcoming podcast.

 

[JonesBones]

Pinker is not a pop scientist. He works in the Department of Psychology at Harvard and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Harris doesn't even call himself an atheist, so I don't see how him promoting group atheism. Most of his podcast shows don't deal with atheism. If they do, it isn't the main issue of the podcast.

A quote from a few years back:

"I didn’t even use the term in The End of Faith, which remains my most substantial criticism of religion. And, as I argued briefly in Letter to a Christian Nation, I think that “atheist” is a term that we do not need, in the same way that we don’t need a word for someone who rejects astrology."

He is a pop scientist by definition. Harris wrote an Atheist Manifesto. He is famous for being an atheist. Come on now. lol at him not promoting group atheism. He only has a foundation and organizes events

 

[jeffk]

"Before the scientific enlightenment, we were much wiser."

 

[Wadtucket]

My default is always to believe the woman. Why would a woman ever lie about such a thing? It is time for men to be more sensitive and understand the basic concept of consent. Anybody who doubts these testimonies from the brave women who speak out should really consider attending gender studies classes. Literally no case of false accusation has been proven true without interference from (mostly white) men who are quick to silence brave women who speak out. My heartfelt SORRY on behalf of all men go out to these brave victims of misogyny.