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No, what ends up being trite to others is what it's interesting to you. People find interesting that which they find challenging. If you write about what you know most you're unlikely to seem trite to others. But if you get all excited about some nwe insight into something you're not an expert in to begin with, your "insight" risks seeming boring...

Somewhat related is Rothbard's law:

Rothbard suggested that an otherwise talented individual would specialize and focus in an area at which they were weaker--or simply flat out wrong. Or as he often put it: "everyone specializes in what he is worst at."
This is because people specialize in what they find interesting, that is, challenging, instead of what they are best at because they find the latter boring.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat May 27th, 2006 at 03:26:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

 "No, what ends up being trite to others is what it's interesting to you."

 Eh?

 Why, "No,..."

  That re-statement is, after all, what I wrote--or certainly meant to write that I'd understood you to have argued.

By the way, I think Rothbard himself necessarily disconfirms Rothbard's law --whether or not one agrees with him!

"In such an environment it is not surprising that the ills of technology should seem curable only through the application of more technology..." John W Aldridge

by proximity1 on Sat May 27th, 2006 at 03:40:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I thought I was responding to
"boring stuff" approx'ly = "what you know" approx'ly = "what...end[s] up seeming trite to others"  ?

By the way, do you have anything against Lewis Carroll?

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat May 27th, 2006 at 04:09:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]

 Nope. Should I?  Why do you ask?

  He (Carroll--that was a pseudonym, wasn't it? ) was a mathematician?  And he "specialized" in writing the "Alice" fables?

   Charles Lutwidge Dodgson >  was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican clergyman and photographer.

 which of these did he do badly, or boringly?

  Proximity1 1

  Rothbard   0

"In such an environment it is not surprising that the ills of technology should seem curable only through the application of more technology..." John W Aldridge

by proximity1 on Sat May 27th, 2006 at 04:16:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I ask because you rewrote my introduction which was based on a famous line from Fit the Fourth of Carroll's Hunting of the Snark.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat May 27th, 2006 at 04:19:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

 "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch." -- Theodore Geisel

  now, Good Night !

  ;^)

"In such an environment it is not surprising that the ills of technology should seem curable only through the application of more technology..." John W Aldridge

by proximity1 on Sat May 27th, 2006 at 04:27:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"The rest of my speech" (he explained to his men)
"You shall hear when I've leisure to speak it.
But the Snark is at hand, let me tell you again!
'Tis your glorious duty to seek it!

"To seek it with thimbles, to seek it with care;
To pursue it with forks and hope;
To threaten its life with a railway-share;
To charm it with smiles and soap!

But beware of the Baker's fate

They hunted till darkness came on, but they found
Not a button, or feather, or mark,
By which they could tell that they stood on the ground
Where the Baker had met with the Snark.

In the midst of the word he was trying to say,
In the midst of his laughter and glee,
He had softly and suddenly vanished away---
For the Snark was a Boojum, you see.

And one shouldn't forget about the dangers posed by the Jubjub bird and the frumious Bandersnatch

by MarekNYC on Sat May 27th, 2006 at 04:41:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]

 For crying out loud, I don't know!  Who's on first!!!

;^)

 Folks, goodnight.  Prox has been at the keyboard/terminal too long already today.

 PS: Barbara is right, Migu.  You spend too much time here, too.  ;^)

  Signing off for the day/night, quantum moment, etc.

"In such an environment it is not surprising that the ills of technology should seem curable only through the application of more technology..." John W Aldridge

by proximity1 on Sat May 27th, 2006 at 04:20:20 PM EST
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Hah, some say I'm the living embodiment of the Rothbard wastage.
by Metatone (metatone [a|t] gmail (dot) com) on Sat May 27th, 2006 at 04:53:53 PM EST
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And here I thought you were going to tar and feather me for mentioning him...

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat May 27th, 2006 at 05:03:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I'm in an indeterminate kind of mood tonight.
by Metatone (metatone [a|t] gmail (dot) com) on Sat May 27th, 2006 at 05:28:09 PM EST
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My god.  And here I thought it was just that I was stubborn or doomed or had just really very awful taste in things to "specialize" in (Russia, ack!, will never know what I'm talking about!)...  Turns out there is a completely logical explanation after all.  

Just made my day!!

Super diary, btw.  

Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. -Voltaire

by p------- on Mon May 29th, 2006 at 05:08:07 PM EST
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