Comments on: Principles for 21st century living http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Wed, 22 May 2013 05:34:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Jimbo Kowalczyk http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1679370 Jimbo Kowalczyk Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:15:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1679370 Most of these seem to apply to the 20th century (and possibly earlier as well). Also, #7 has a pretty serious typo making it hard to understand exactly what is being advocated. Most of these seem to apply to the 20th century (and possibly earlier as well).

Also, #7 has a pretty serious typo making it hard to understand exactly what is being advocated.

]]> By: jenjen http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1679306 jenjen Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:17:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1679306 Er, disobedience instead of compliance?  Someone needed to explain that to whoever at MIT decided not to just drop the charges against Aaron Swartz, yes?  Er, disobedience instead of compliance?  Someone needed to explain that to whoever at MIT decided not to just drop the charges against Aaron Swartz, yes? 

]]> By: Anarcissie http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676876 Anarcissie Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:39:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676876 They're not necessarily vapid, but that have become rather cliche'ed in recent years.  In actuality, the West has been becoming more bought-out and oppressive, so they're like all those songs about love because there isn't any. They’re not necessarily vapid, but that have become rather cliche’ed in recent years.  In actuality, the West has been becoming more bought-out and oppressive, so they’re like all those songs about love because there isn’t any.

]]> By: GlenBlank http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676857 GlenBlank Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:24:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676857 Entirely aside from the "simple rules for simple minds" sloganeering of the list as a whole (ably dissected in the comments above), I'd note that #5, "You want to have good compasses not maps" doesn't sound like anything someone who's spent a lot of time using both would say. I <i>think</i> what he's trying to convey, perhaps, is that good wayfinding skills can often be more useful than maps (especially bad or outdated maps). Wayfinding skills are a wide-ranging set of techniques that involve 'reading' and interpreting a landscape, understanding the nature and form of topography, paths, trails, roadways, and human settlement, and keeping your bearings - even in deep forest on a cloudy day.  Even without a compass. But a compass isn't a wayfinding tool.  It can't show you "which way to go", only which way is north or south.  That's not usually much help unless you have at least a rough map.   But wayfinding skills can get get you into and out of places where there aren't any maps you could orient with a compass - even if you had one. Compasses aren't much use for navigating unfamiliar territory without a map, searching for something of uncertain location, or scouting new trails through previously unexplored territory. Which I suspect is the sort of thing he's aiming at, metaphorically speaking. "Where we're going, there aren't any maps." But compasses won't be much help, either. :-) Entirely aside from the “simple rules for simple minds” sloganeering of the list as a whole (ably dissected in the comments above), I’d note that #5, “You want to have good compasses not maps” doesn’t sound like anything someone who’s spent a lot of time using both would say.

I think what he’s trying to convey, perhaps, is that good wayfinding skills can often be more useful than maps (especially bad or outdated maps).

Wayfinding skills are a wide-ranging set of techniques that involve ‘reading’ and interpreting a landscape, understanding the nature and form of topography, paths, trails, roadways, and human settlement, and keeping your bearings – even in deep forest on a cloudy day.  Even without a compass.

But a compass isn’t a wayfinding tool.  It can’t show you “which way to go”, only which way is north or south.  That’s not usually much help unless you have at least a rough map.  

But wayfinding skills can get get you into and out of places where there aren’t any maps you could orient with a compass – even if you had one.

Compasses aren’t much use for navigating unfamiliar territory without a map, searching for something of uncertain location, or scouting new trails through previously unexplored territory.

Which I suspect is the sort of thing he’s aiming at, metaphorically speaking.

“Where we’re going, there aren’t any maps.”

But compasses won’t be much help, either. :-)

]]> By: Russell Letson http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676856 Russell Letson Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:22:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676856 Viewed as a set of principles for leading one's individual life, these come across as bright-adolescent-rebellious (especially, say, 3 and 7). Viewed in the context of the Wired interview in which they're embedded, they sound more like a set of corrective suggestions for organizations that need to cope with changing environments. (And even so, there's a big dose of just-rhetoric in them, starting with the fact that it's a list of binaries.) Viewed as a set of principles for leading one’s individual life, these come across as bright-adolescent-rebellious (especially, say, 3 and 7). Viewed in the context of the Wired interview in which they’re embedded, they sound more like a set of corrective suggestions for organizations that need to cope with changing environments. (And even so, there’s a big dose of just-rhetoric in them, starting with the fact that it’s a list of binaries.)

]]> By: DreamboatSkanky http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676814 DreamboatSkanky Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:28:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676814 Double-wow over wow. Double-wow over wow.

]]> By: SumAnon http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676807 SumAnon Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:18:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676807  Game over, man. Game over.  Game over, man. Game over.

]]> By: SumAnon http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676805 SumAnon Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:16:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676805 <i>Quid quoddam pondus cacas. </i> Quid quoddam pondus cacas.

]]> By: SumAnon http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676804 SumAnon Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:14:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676804  Would you like to use your Ask The Audience lifeline?  Would you like to use your Ask The Audience lifeline?

]]> By: DonBoy2 http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676787 DonBoy2 Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:47:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676787 Holy god, there's six pages of that? Holy god, there’s six pages of that?

]]> By: Jack Pitsker http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676759 Jack Pitsker Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:17:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676759 Celebrating disobedience is just as blindly stupid as celebrating obedience. Making a list of rules about how to be a creative rebel is ironic enough that I wish this were a joke. Ignore the experts in favor of the crowd? Wow. What is important is that it is working, not why it is working? Double-wow. Who needs education and understanding when you've got rebellion and a scorn for safety? I fail to see the advantage in relearning the things those experts already know, especially since some of those lessons are pretty hard. This is the nine-step guide to making human progress grind to a halt. Celebrating disobedience is just as blindly stupid as celebrating obedience. Making a list of rules about how to be a creative rebel is ironic enough that I wish this were a joke. Ignore the experts in favor of the crowd? Wow. What is important is that it is working, not why it is working? Double-wow. Who needs education and understanding when you’ve got rebellion and a scorn for safety? I fail to see the advantage in relearning the things those experts already know, especially since some of those lessons are pretty hard. This is the nine-step guide to making human progress grind to a halt.

]]> By: awjt http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676737 awjt Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676737 >cat dolphin over > >cat dolphin
over
>

]]> By: Crashproof http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676727 Crashproof Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:35:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676727 Oooh, I can play this game too. Coffee over donuts. Shoes over haircuts. Trousers over underwear. Oooh, I can play this game too.

Coffee over donuts.

Shoes over haircuts.

Trousers over underwear.

]]> By: Lemoutan http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676726 Lemoutan Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:34:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676726 So, if I'm to take what you say as gospel, at some unspecified time in the future, you could eventually be right. But, regardless, I still might get hurt? No thanks. So, if I’m to take what you say as gospel, at some unspecified time in the future, you could eventually be right. But, regardless, I still might get hurt? No thanks.

]]> By: Tynam http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676721 Tynam Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:26:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676721 Trust without due diligence and the pain/hurt will be coming. Trust me. Trust without due diligence and the pain/hurt will be coming.

Trust me.

]]> By: freshyill http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676714 freshyill Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:09:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676714 These ideas are vapid and everybody here seems to recognize it. These ideas are vapid and everybody here seems to recognize it.

]]> By: freshyill http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676713 freshyill Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:07:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676713 Sharks are winners. Sharks are winners.

]]> By: DreamboatSkanky http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676707 DreamboatSkanky Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676707 Above over over.  Over. Above over over.  Over.

]]> By: Fnordius http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676701 Fnordius Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:37:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676701 Look at it a different way: when starting off, ask the crowd first because the expert could have already put the info into the crowd. If that answer is incomplete or unsatisfactory, then you can go look for the expert (and even there, the crowd has a good chance of helping to find the expert) Look at it a different way: when starting off, ask the crowd first because the expert could have already put the info into the crowd. If that answer is incomplete or unsatisfactory, then you can go look for the expert (and even there, the crowd has a good chance of helping to find the expert)

]]> By: Fnordius http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676700 Fnordius Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:32:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676700 Dolphin overrun error; return to cat1 Dolphin overrun error; return to cat1

]]> By: CH http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676694 CH Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:23:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676694 We do a lot of trusting others because otherwise we would be sitting at home, scared of stepping out. But wait... I haven't inspected my home, that it is properly built, I just trusted that it was! Oh, nooooooo! We do a lot of trusting others because otherwise we would be sitting at home, scared of stepping out. But wait… I haven’t inspected my home, that it is properly built, I just trusted that it was! Oh, nooooooo!

]]> By: Joe Vanegas http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676692 Joe Vanegas Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:18:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676692 Just a compass, but no map. You don't know where you are but you are headed somewhere. You learn from experience as you go rather than preparing and benefitting from knowledge that others have strenuously obtained.  For one in a million, this strategy results in pop success. Those with no Bayes knowledge will see the success and not the 999,999 failures and think it is a good idea. The wise pop success will buy a mansion and retire, knowing it was dumb luck. But where would that wisdom come from? Just a compass, but no map. You don’t know where you are but you are headed somewhere. You learn from experience as you go rather than preparing and benefitting from knowledge that others have strenuously obtained. 

For one in a million, this strategy results in pop success. Those with no Bayes knowledge will see the success and not the 999,999 failures and think it is a good idea. The wise pop success will buy a mansion and retire, knowing it was dumb luck. But where would that wisdom come from?

]]> By: Thorzdad http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676684 Thorzdad Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:09:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676684 Words to live by. If you're a well-monied tech entrepreneur, who communicates in corp-speak bullet-points. Words to live by.
If you’re a well-monied tech entrepreneur, who communicates in corp-speak bullet-points.

]]> By: Thorzdad http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676679 Thorzdad Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:04:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676679 Judgement and reason don't arrive fully-formed out of a vacuum. They have to be informed by a solid background of knowledge in any particular area. Knowledge built from, yes, experience, but also, more often than not, the teachings and instructions of those that have gone before. Experts. Judgement and reason don’t arrive fully-formed out of a vacuum. They have to be informed by a solid background of knowledge in any particular area. Knowledge built from, yes, experience, but also, more often than not, the teachings and instructions of those that have gone before. Experts.

]]> By: Halloween_Jack http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676674 Halloween_Jack Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:00:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676674  Rock on Chicago  Rock on Chicago

]]> By: class_enemy http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676660 class_enemy Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:36:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676660 There are things one in which one can become an expert by study and practice.  Such as how to pump oil out of the ground, how to brew a superb cup of coffee, and how to surgically correct a hernia. There are other things for which no proven method of "expertise" has ever been demonstrated over the long term.  Most of these are the things in which our political systems falsely claim expertise. There are things one in which one can become an expert by study and practice.  Such as how to pump oil out of the ground, how to brew a superb cup of coffee, and how to surgically correct a hernia.

There are other things for which no proven method of “expertise” has ever been demonstrated over the long term.  Most of these are the things in which our political systems falsely claim expertise.

]]> By: class_enemy http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676654 class_enemy Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:29:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676654 Not really, Obama got his Nobel basically for not being George Bush, as did Carter and Gore.  He really didn't step up the killing until he had the prize safely on his mantel, and the cash banked. Hey, that reminds me, I'm not Bush either.  Better get my application in while the going is good. Not really, Obama got his Nobel basically for not being George Bush, as did Carter and Gore.  He really didn’t step up the killing until he had the prize safely on his mantel, and the cash banked.

Hey, that reminds me, I’m not Bush either.  Better get my application in while the going is good.

]]> By: awjt http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676651 awjt Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:21:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676651 True, but there's no way to BUY being Frank Zappa, or Helena Bonham Carter, or Pre-North Korea Trip Dennis Rodman.  The only way to do it is to say fuck all to the insane normal world and make your own brand. True, but there’s no way to BUY being Frank Zappa, or Helena Bonham Carter, or Pre-North Korea Trip Dennis Rodman.  The only way to do it is to say fuck all to the insane normal world and make your own brand.

]]> By: Ian Wood http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676647 Ian Wood Tue, 12 Mar 2013 10:45:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676647 <i>Une charge de merde.</i> Une charge de merde.

]]> By: Frank W http://boingboing.net/2013/03/11/principles-for-21st-century-li.html#comment-1676635 Frank W Tue, 12 Mar 2013 10:15:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=217960#comment-1676635 Generic opinion. Generic opinion.

]]>