[FRIAM] Book publishing advice needed

[thompnickson2 at gmail.com]

Glen,

That physicists have such authority is what psychologists have envied.  

Nick 



Nicholas Thompson
Emeritus Professor of Ethology and Psychology
Clark University
ThompNickSon2 at gmail.com
https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/
 


-----Original Message-----
From: Friam <friam-bounces at redfish.com> On Behalf Of ? u?l?
Sent: Tuesday, July 7, 2020 11:01 AM
To: FriAM <friam at redfish.com>
Subject: Re: [FRIAM] Book publishing advice needed

Is it, though? I think it's an appeal to authority rather than an envy. When my cancer survivor friend confided in me that they'd survived cancer too, and that they strongly believed a "good attitude" and "hopeful thoughts" were critical to survival, then goes on to cite The Tao of Physics [Fritjof Capra] as justification for their belief, I don't see *envy*. I see them desperately, pareidoliacally thrashing around for *any* justification they can get their hands on.  To me it feels like any justification for such beliefs is somehow better than just admitting we're LUCKY.

So, it's not physics envy, even in Firestein's case in "Ignorance". It's simply fallacious reasoning ... for my cancer surviving friend a defense mechanism ... for Firestein a prominent *hook* with boatloads of authoritative cargo.

On 7/7/20 9:20 AM, thompnickson2 at gmail.com wrote:
> Physics envy.  A terrible, awful, terminal disease of the mind.

--
☣ uǝlƃ

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