Posted: May 26, 2012 3:32 pm
by SeriousCat
Thommo wrote:
SeriousCat wrote:
Thommo wrote:Seems pretty relevant to gay people. It's embarassing to hit on people and be rejected. More generally I don't agree with the principle anyway, there are lots of areas of intellectual discussion, investigation and discovery that are fascinating, discussed and worthy of discussion that have not one shred of potential interaction with behaviour for anyone. What would the behavioural consequences of truth of the continuum hypothesis be?


Yes, I suppose it would be a little embarassing, but it's not the end of the world. I've been approached before and faced the situation you've described. As long as both parties are mature about it, there is no issue. That in itself isn't a useful reason for thinking of the implications of 'gaydar'.

For your second point, I will admit I am a pragmatist and the reasoning I put forth was for pragmatic application. However, if you enjoy vexing your mind with complicated issues, then you aren't looking for application but mental exercise and play. It becomes an entirely different beast, like a piece of music.


Or like scientific research.

It's simply not true that something needs to have direct consequences for ones behaviour to be of interest or value to one.

Arguing on an internet forum that things are only valuable if they are pragmatic seems like an exercise in self-defeat.


You're misunderstanding what I'm saying. I'm talking about there being no difference in the consequences whether it is true or not. You're going off in a completely different direction. Also, consequences are rarely direct. Indirect consequences, such as the impetus to travel to the moon, are valid too.