Donald Robertson

See, you are thinking about it in a more Socratic way. So the very fact you're going, well, can I see it from more than one perspective? So the role that you always have to be qualified, well, maybe there's some exceptions to that, right? And you can easily think of examples of great thinkers in the past that...

they weren't qualified they were outsiders or talented amateurs or whatever but on the other hand having zero qualifications in certain subjects clearly in some cases just leads to the Dunning-Kruger effect and people making schoolboy errors that are just almost cringeworthy if you know about the subject um

they weren't qualified they were outsiders or talented amateurs or whatever but on the other hand having zero qualifications in certain subjects clearly in some cases just leads to the Dunning-Kruger effect and people making schoolboy errors that are just almost cringeworthy if you know about the subject um

they weren't qualified they were outsiders or talented amateurs or whatever but on the other hand having zero qualifications in certain subjects clearly in some cases just leads to the Dunning-Kruger effect and people making schoolboy errors that are just almost cringeworthy if you know about the subject um

I mean, the most obvious example of that, I think, is the internet is absolutely awash with people that can't tell the difference between causation and correlation and medical research. But newspapers and magazines have exploited that confusion for generations, but now it's become a much bigger thing on the internet.

I mean, the most obvious example of that, I think, is the internet is absolutely awash with people that can't tell the difference between causation and correlation and medical research. But newspapers and magazines have exploited that confusion for generations, but now it's become a much bigger thing on the internet.

I mean, the most obvious example of that, I think, is the internet is absolutely awash with people that can't tell the difference between causation and correlation and medical research. But newspapers and magazines have exploited that confusion for generations, but now it's become a much bigger thing on the internet.

So like understanding kind of like basic medical research methods, like, you know, not getting confused about that, like does lead a lot of people to make basic mistakes, right? Basically to misinterpret. If you don't know, like during the pandemic, like, every five minutes people were waving around research studies and stuff that didn't have any medical research, right?

So like understanding kind of like basic medical research methods, like, you know, not getting confused about that, like does lead a lot of people to make basic mistakes, right? Basically to misinterpret. If you don't know, like during the pandemic, like, every five minutes people were waving around research studies and stuff that didn't have any medical research, right?

So like understanding kind of like basic medical research methods, like, you know, not getting confused about that, like does lead a lot of people to make basic mistakes, right? Basically to misinterpret. If you don't know, like during the pandemic, like, every five minutes people were waving around research studies and stuff that didn't have any medical research, right?

So they had no idea what the stuff they were reading actually meant. And over and over again, they're kind of like just making the kind of mistakes that you would get taught not to make, right? So there are problems that happen. And there are people when they discuss ancient philosophy that make errors that an academic philosopher maybe wouldn't make.

So they had no idea what the stuff they were reading actually meant. And over and over again, they're kind of like just making the kind of mistakes that you would get taught not to make, right? So there are problems that happen. And there are people when they discuss ancient philosophy that make errors that an academic philosopher maybe wouldn't make.

So they had no idea what the stuff they were reading actually meant. And over and over again, they're kind of like just making the kind of mistakes that you would get taught not to make, right? So there are problems that happen. And there are people when they discuss ancient philosophy that make errors that an academic philosopher maybe wouldn't make.

But, yeah, I don't think there's a conclusive answer to this. But, yeah, I think we just need to be aware. I think the best thing is just to kind of be aware of what are the pros and cons. In the same way that, you know, for any self-help technique, just at least sit down and make a list of what are the strengths and weaknesses of this, what's a good way and a bad way of doing it.

But, yeah, I don't think there's a conclusive answer to this. But, yeah, I think we just need to be aware. I think the best thing is just to kind of be aware of what are the pros and cons. In the same way that, you know, for any self-help technique, just at least sit down and make a list of what are the strengths and weaknesses of this, what's a good way and a bad way of doing it.

But, yeah, I don't think there's a conclusive answer to this. But, yeah, I think we just need to be aware. I think the best thing is just to kind of be aware of what are the pros and cons. In the same way that, you know, for any self-help technique, just at least sit down and make a list of what are the strengths and weaknesses of this, what's a good way and a bad way of doing it.

So you've got a slightly more nuanced understanding of it, not just a kind of rigid idea. but I think in generally, you know, this thing about amateurs versus experts is similar. Like there's pros and cons to it. Just knowing what those are is perhaps the main thing.

So you've got a slightly more nuanced understanding of it, not just a kind of rigid idea. but I think in generally, you know, this thing about amateurs versus experts is similar. Like there's pros and cons to it. Just knowing what those are is perhaps the main thing.

So you've got a slightly more nuanced understanding of it, not just a kind of rigid idea. but I think in generally, you know, this thing about amateurs versus experts is similar. Like there's pros and cons to it. Just knowing what those are is perhaps the main thing.

I mean, I can tell you over the years I've, I've, I'm friends with and know many, uh, well-respected academics, historians, classicists, philosophers, um, you know, and I guess my attitude has changed a little bit from my experience over time. Um,