If you want X, you know where to find it (was Re: do...until wisdom needed...)

[Alex Martelli]

"Douglas Alan" <nessus at mit.edu> wrote in message
news:lcoftuewyz.fsf at gaffa.mit.edu...
> "Steve Holden" <sholden at holdenweb.com> writes:
>
> > "Douglas Alan" <nessus at mit.edu> wrote in message
>
> > > "Alex Martelli" <aleaxit at yahoo.com> writes:
>
> > > > As you seem totally unwilling or unable to understand that
> > > > Weltanschauung to any extent, I don't see how you could bring Python
> > > > any constructive enhancement (except perhaps by some random
> > > > mechanism akin to monkeys banging away on typewriters until 'Hamlet'
> > > > comes out, I guess).
>
> > > $#@# you too.  You are very rude.
>
> > Rude, perhaps, but not usually abusive. *Please* resist the temptation
to
> > post in this vein in future.
>
> I find the quote from Alex above to be utterly abusive, and he was

How so?  I assert that you give the appearance of not _getting_
the Python world-view of _simplicity_ (be it for lack of trying
or lack of ability to do so, that's a secondary issue). The unstated
middle axiom (pretty obvious, I think) being that somebody who
does not understand the bases on which a system of any richness
rests, is not going to enhance that system; I then go on to
state the syllogism's conclusion (note the "I don't _see_ how",
since I very clearly stated I'm talking about the _appearance_
["seem"] you provide with these posts -- not interested in any
speculation about "how you really ARE" or even in the existence
of 'real reality below the appearances' in this context:-).  Hey,
I even admitted the outside possibility that random processes
might surprise me -- what more could one ask?-)

> abusive to me in a previous post.  Calling him rude is what he
> deserves, because it is what he is.

You appear to be hopelessly in love with "the IS of identity".

Korzybski is often credited with that expression, but this may
be a denial of due credit to his predecessors, see for example
http://www.kcmetro.cc.mo.us/pennvalley/biology/lewis/historyis.htm
(all of Steven Lewis' site on General Semantics can be highly
recommended; one can then go on to something like
http://www.general-semantics.org/ -- it's the order I'd suggest).

Cognitive-behavior therapies, some of whose underpinnings can
be found in General Semantics, have often proven surprisingly
effective.  I may get dissent on this point, but I believe NO
case, no matter how desperate it may look, is really incurable.


Alex