the lives of the many outweigh the lives of the few

The majority of published spoken works are highly emotional and disorganized. The majority of published written works are carefully thought-out and organized. With written works, it’s much easier to flag the especially interesting bits with a highlight (virtual or real), to make notes (ditto), and to go back and re-read a passage that confuses you. Yes, you can listen to a very well-crafted speech or lecture, but do you take in all of it? Probably not. The only way to really communicate is to have a face to face conversation.”) I consider spoken communication to be by nature less organized and rational than written communication, and harder to absorb. I stress reading because, contrary to the current fashion in the business world, (“Email is the root of all evil. I don’t want my opinions to be those kinds of opinions, so I tend to constantly challenge them by seeking additional information and by reading (yes, reading) the arguments of those with whom I disagree. Because God knows the guy who hosts the evening talk show is a much better public policy analysts than a philosopher, a political scientist or any of America’s Founding Fathers. In America, most opinions are based on what our parents taught us and on what we heard on television. Most opinions are not based on reason and adequate information. Opinions can only be altered if they’re based on reason and adequate information. It’s impossible to change their opinions. There’s no arguing with such people, there’s only coping. Sometimes I only need to hear a few words of it to decide that this person is too stupid to formulate an opinion, or has formed an opinion without adequate information, or is plainly and simply divorced from any concept of reality. If I disagree with someone, I don’t like to do it out of hand.

The lives of the many outweigh the lives of the few