My Attitude About The Math /Science/ Logic Illiterate

[David Sklansky]

It doesn't bother me when people disagree with me. It does bother me when people disagree because they think I am saying something I am not. Granted that might be my fault for writing imprecisely.

Anyway it seems that more than half of the posts disagreeing with me are actually disagreeing with something that I actually wasn't saying. So I want to spell out clearly my attitude about the msl illiterate since it relates to many of my posts.

1. I believe that in the US only about two to four percent are msl literate.

2. I believe that about 30% have the brain structure to become literate.

3. I fully recognize that those who are msl illiterate have a lot to contribute to the world. And often do contribute more than most msl literates.

4. I believe that there are many subjects where msl illiterates have opinions that should be taken seriously. Either because their illiteracy doesn't come into play, as in deciding the best color scheme for the house, or because the main component by far is pure value judgement, as in debating partial birth abortions.

5. On the other hand I believe that in order for a subject to qualify as one where msl illiterates should be largely ignored, it is not necessary that there be a highly correlated math model. It is only necessary that logical deduction, probability, algebra or whatever play a bit of a roll in the decision. It doen't matter that msl illiterates who are very familiar with the subject might get it right more than msl literates who are less familiar. Because there will be some who have both attributes. And even if they are slightly less familiar than the msl illiterates they are still the big favorite to be right. Because of the fact that one logical error in the analysis totally taints any conclusion from that point.

6. I believe that if the above conclusions were generally accepted it would not hurt a lot of feelings in the 70% who have no physical chance to become msl literate. Because I believe that the great majority already know or sense that their opinions on anything vaguely technical are very iffy. Most of these people aren't very opinionated about much of anything. Certainly not about whether tax rates should be increased, more soldiers should be sent somewhere, or classroom sizes should be changed. They pretty much realize they are unqualified.

7. My gripe is with the 27% who have the brainpower to learn the logic, probability, and science to become msl literates but stobbornly refuse to. If they did they would to be able to offer opinions without the constant danger that they will say something that asserts the consequent, denies the antecedent, or misinterprets conditional probability. Instead they think that because they have above average IQs they shouldn't be considered morons when they offer their opinions about stuff that isn't obviously highly mathematical. When they enounter a subject that is 20% mathematical they either deny that it percentage, or claim that they can overcome the 20%. Thus they are in fact morons.