Posted by ettaexpress on 2/21/2014 6:50:00 PM (view original):
You say you're baffled (seems a common state here). Clearly, that's my fault even though it could not be more obvious. You've said very clearly that if other people don't understand me, it says something about my intelligence. Actually, you said it helps DETERMINE my intelligence, which is totally wrong. It's still wrong if you say it reveals or indicates, but it's a lot less wrong than what you said.
In most of your second paragraph, you make my point for me. Performance =/ intelligence. The only thing about which you quibble is what is worthy of being called success or an accomplishment. Apparently accomplishing objectives in your chosen field is worth more than doing so in another field because you think your field requires more intelligence.
I guess my friend that's a PhD candidate in chemistry is stupid because I don't know enough about chemistry to hold up my end of a conversation on her research.
just a terrible, god-awful analogy (like so many others). here is why it is grossly inappropriate - the first person has a great depth of knowledge on the subject, the second has very little, and they are trying to have a high end conversation. in this case, to call the one with a high level of understanding stupid, is very inappropriate, as there is no logical basis.
heres the situation here - you are trying to discuss the simulation engine, in which virtually everyone has far greater knowledge than you do (so that is the reverse case), and also sprinkled in are ties to regular basketball, where we are having low level discussions in which most parties have a suitable working knowledge, appropriate for the level of the conversation. see how that is almost the reverse of your example? and at a minimum, not at all similar?
your analogy is actually almost there if its you talking about chemistry, and her not understanding you. its unlikely she is the idiot, because she is more knowledge on the subject. well, that leaves one other explanation...
a better analogy than yours but still not so great, is if your friend is talking to others with great proficiency in chemistry, and she can't communicate her research to just about any of them. then yes, she is stupid, not all of them. now, to make the analogy appropriate, assume she knows very little about chemistry, but tries to communicate her ideas anyway. when all the professors tell her she has it wrong, she tells them they lack the intelligence or grasp of the subject matter to comprehend her points. this makes her not only an idiot, but an arrogant fool. now, this is an EXTREMELY appropriate analogy.
2/21/2014 7:05 PM (edited)