Caltrops - We Love Katamari





	[quote name="Zsenitan"][quote name="bink"]But here's what I want to know: do you think Icycalm's lack of insight is genetic or due to a lack of discipline? Can middling minds like that improve?[/quote] Discounting the middling mind thing, I think he has two problems: NPD, as ES pointed out a while back, and Gifted Child Syndrome. The two of them working in concert are the royal road to crankdom and I'm pretty ticked that it took me so long to put two and two together here. Gifted children can get over being gifted, but narcissists are forever. Even without the complications of crankiness, and even if he were able to overcome How Very Smart And Special He Is, he would still most likely be a boor. The thing is, he would probably be a boor that sticks to gaming alone without any philosophical complications. Would this make him more or less readable?! I have no idea. To touch on middling minds: I think almost any kinda mind can improve as long as it's willing to admit fault, honestly identify strengths and interests, and dedicate time and effort to improvement. While someone born stupid will have a harder time with many scholarly disciplines, and while they may never make That Earthshattering Discovery or write That Worldchanging Book or whatever - even if they lack the scintillating penetration and agility of the natural born genius - they can still work in all the same fields, and they still have good odds of career success. Further, it's tough to point at any one kind of mind and say "that's the middling one." There are very gifted, very refined, very well-educated musicians who are nevertheless dumb as bricks about politics, science, commerce, etc. There are financial geniuses who back intelligent design, there are subtle and brilliant administrators who have appallingly bad taste in art, music, food, drink, and women. I know people who cannot spell, add or subtract in their heads, or follow an argument with more than one premise, but they are really amazing with animals, or they can sell fire to hell. If icycalm plays as big as he talks, there is every chance that he is an exceptionally gifted player of difficult video games. He's just bad at philosophy, and he is unlikely to ever meet all three of our conditions for improvement there. [quote] And how's your chess game going?[/quote] Appalling, I circle slowly between 890 and 960 like a vulture. However it is coloring my non-chess thoughts in interesting and useful new ways. I think there will be a few weeks of digestion before I make any real progress right now.[/quote]