tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19268887.post37030063909799073..comments2024-03-17T18:44:03.058+11:00Comments on Lazy Luddite Log: But Am I Sure?Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12710148812664294219noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19268887.post-52605879466379233312007-10-09T15:27:00.000+10:002007-10-09T15:27:00.000+10:00Thanks Jess. I think that avoiding fanaticism is ...Thanks Jess. I think that avoiding fanaticism is a means rather than an end. If one wishes to prevent all the things that arise from fanaticism then one will resist it strongly. Of course how one responds is important lest one simply produces what one is seeking to prevent. <BR/><BR/>It also depends on the context - 'fan' is short for fanatic but in most cases a bit of fandom makes life interesting.Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12710148812664294219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19268887.post-60919712866110913552007-10-09T15:01:00.000+10:002007-10-09T15:01:00.000+10:00Wow. Thankyou for linking that clip.One of my favo...Wow. Thankyou for linking that clip.<BR/>One of my favourite quotes is from a sci-fi author about his short story... (I love annotated collections, but because it was a collection of many authors I can't remember who the author was!) It goes something like 'Fanaticism is what we must avoid - but of course, I am not fanatical about this.'<BR/>I feel that this balance is missing in so much of the battle between creationists/'intelligent design' supporters and atheists. The only answer to 'I have faith that I am right' seems to be 'I have faith that you are wrong'... which is not where the ideal secular society should spring from. The solution? I don't know. How can one be so certain of one's own uncertainty that one is prepared to deny someone else's certainty? It is a paradox, and of increasing relevance in this world of increasing fundamentalism and radicals vs reactionists. Humans like certainty; it's easier. Of that I'm sure (pretty sure, anyway).Jess Ehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14581436112634140797noreply@blogger.com