Archive for August 28th, 2006

Eric Hoffer’s “Research”

Posted by Bob in Coaching Session on 08/28/2006

Eric Hoffer was an intellectual who never went to school. He wrote his first book at age 65, and he was a heavy manual laborer all his life.

Hoffer wrote in aphorisms, general rules. He once explained that he had an odd way of doing research for his writings. He would go to the library and pick up the first thing that interested him. He would read or look around for half an hour. If he didn’t find anything that applied to the aphorism he was working on, he jsut forgot about that aphorism and kept on reading whwat interested him.

In other words, Hoffer didn’t search for something that would support what he was saying. What he was saying had examples EVERYWHERE or it didn’t apply.

You could not do that in any graduate seminar except BUGS, right here.

If what I say makes you think of osmething else, tell us about it. If you can go into a library and not be reminded of SOMETHING Bob said, Bob is in deep trouble.

Get out there and THINK.

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2 Comments

Kelly

Posted by Bob in Comment Responses on 08/28/2006

Are we allowed off topic like this?…Or should we incorporate the two topics?..I understand how one could sway a topic…Should we finnish a (say it) with at least Bobs Mantra,Whitakeronline.org,or BUGS???etc?

Comment by Kelly

ME:

Good basic question.

Kelly, you have partly answered your own question. Notice what I am talking about what Kelly brought up. That is the sort of thing a semonair consists of. A lecture and the lecture they call a seminar today, consists of the professor lecturing and allowing students to ask questions. In today’s “seminar” the professor lectures and students are allowed to ask questions.

I LEAD the seminar, I don’t TEACH it. That means I have the right to drive the subject back to where I think it should be, but, as you see here, I do that by answering you.

“The subject” is MY problem. MY “other” problem is that you arenot used to a seminar, or to a professor who considers you on his level. In the Politically Correctness seminaries we call universities, the idea is to get everybody trained for the priesthood, not to get any original thinking done. Thought leads straight to heresy.

So if you are thinking about anything, say it. I will handle it.

I keep saying here that I spend most of my time replying to comments by talking about what you make me think of. To a true intellectual, EVERYTHING connects.

It is very hard to get “off topic” here in BUGS.

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