The egg on the plantation is doing more philosophical work than half the men with microphones at “civilizational renewal” conferences. A parking sign gives you clean instructions. The egg gives you reality: context, intuition, risk, germs, etiquette, wife-sense, duck uncertainty, and the quiet terror of becoming the weird man fondling poultry evidence near a historic pond. This is the useful point: any philosophy that cannot survive ordinary domestic reality is probably not wisdom. It is just a lonely man building a castle out of concepts while his wife quietly wonders why he is like this.
Forget the egg for a moment. This is one of the most brilliant pieces of writing that I've read in a long time! Amazing. As a writer myself, I can only hope to develop such skill before I die.
This is really just saying that a working philosophy should be compatible with most of the intuitions that people have developed over centuries of living in societies. I thought everyone knew this. Some contrarians might not, but they’re a distinct species. Women don’t always hate their vibes, as they are sometimes successful and fun. And any good philosopher deals with edge cases and how their principles will work under stress in their minds.
It’s a good essay, but I do think that periods of change, requiring adaptability, have to be slow or very understated to fit into the mold of a good philosophy you’re establishing here. This is why conflict is such a male-coded thing. It’s an opportunity for reorganizing the hierarchy, with themselves in a higher place, and they desperately need that to have a meaningful life.
But if the egg is not in the next but on the ground, the mother will not come back to hatch it. The problem with metaphors is that sometimes the details matter. Thus the lesson in the evolution of science from philosophical speculation is that the real data is preferable.
Well, that’s if you know that. The problem is that the actual frontier of knowledge is always filled with unknown unknowns by everyone and that will never change as long as we are mortal.
Well of course. As a homeowner in NJ with lots of shrubs and small trees, we get robin's eggs in the yard many springs. (There are all manner of possums, squirrels and such around to distress the birds.).
Excellent advice. Growing up, my father would read a passage from the Bible at the dinner table. We were then expected to debate with each other about the meaning of the passage.
I've been thinking about this question for a few days, oh dang! A week now. And I think my views have always been shaped by an attempt at fairness. My parents were both molested as kids and were open about that with me when talking about justice and power. They also taught forgiveness. So, I was aware of others having trauma that caused trauma and this endless cycle. Lke Hegseth pretending like he's not an absolute punk. Or Hitler. lol. And that's why I think individual character in contribution to the wider group is such a panacea for civilization's ills. Not in a status game, but for your own excellence to be your aim not for your own benefit but for society's. In this should be a just reward and so many other things to work out by policy. Which is way above my pay grade. I just think about humanity, mind, history, soul, people, and character. I think these are the root of it all. Most are already operating under this premise.
The egg on the plantation is doing more philosophical work than half the men with microphones at “civilizational renewal” conferences. A parking sign gives you clean instructions. The egg gives you reality: context, intuition, risk, germs, etiquette, wife-sense, duck uncertainty, and the quiet terror of becoming the weird man fondling poultry evidence near a historic pond. This is the useful point: any philosophy that cannot survive ordinary domestic reality is probably not wisdom. It is just a lonely man building a castle out of concepts while his wife quietly wonders why he is like this.
The ancients knew that:
- Sophistry is wanting to win.
- Philosophy is wanting to know what is wise
- A philosopher is a wise man who lives virtuously
Forget the egg for a moment. This is one of the most brilliant pieces of writing that I've read in a long time! Amazing. As a writer myself, I can only hope to develop such skill before I die.
An honor, thank you so much.
This was an awesome read, and i agree wholeheartedly
Well said. 🐦🔥🍇💙
Is that a flaming turkey emoji?
Also, I laughed about the forester bit and am taking this away with me:
“If philosophy is not doing its job to justify good, prudent, practical, pragmatic, and long-term intuitions (read: religious), then it is failing.”
If it helps you to find and love a life mate then it is succeeding
2 other layers to the egg issue.
1. Rarity or beauty, which might lead to a rescue incubation operation like we might back in the Michigan early 70’s.
2. Divine significance, depending on context of physical circumstances, correlations, uncanniness and your prayers.
Egg found without wife = #2?
In South Louisiana, as you well know, the first thing we would do when confronted with the egg is to cook some rice.
A fine choice
This is really just saying that a working philosophy should be compatible with most of the intuitions that people have developed over centuries of living in societies. I thought everyone knew this. Some contrarians might not, but they’re a distinct species. Women don’t always hate their vibes, as they are sometimes successful and fun. And any good philosopher deals with edge cases and how their principles will work under stress in their minds.
It’s a good essay, but I do think that periods of change, requiring adaptability, have to be slow or very understated to fit into the mold of a good philosophy you’re establishing here. This is why conflict is such a male-coded thing. It’s an opportunity for reorganizing the hierarchy, with themselves in a higher place, and they desperately need that to have a meaningful life.
This is cool! I do think this captures why I love love love being at conferences with a healthy mix of men and women.
Incredible
But if the egg is not in the next but on the ground, the mother will not come back to hatch it. The problem with metaphors is that sometimes the details matter. Thus the lesson in the evolution of science from philosophical speculation is that the real data is preferable.
Well, that’s if you know that. The problem is that the actual frontier of knowledge is always filled with unknown unknowns by everyone and that will never change as long as we are mortal.
Well of course. As a homeowner in NJ with lots of shrubs and small trees, we get robin's eggs in the yard many springs. (There are all manner of possums, squirrels and such around to distress the birds.).
Dang that sounds pretty cool. I bet that's what happened to my egg - a possum or something?
Longhoused
shortbus’d
I read this in Jordan Peterson's voice after you said "high in conscientiousness."
Excellent advice. Growing up, my father would read a passage from the Bible at the dinner table. We were then expected to debate with each other about the meaning of the passage.
Do philosophy with your family.
I've been thinking about this question for a few days, oh dang! A week now. And I think my views have always been shaped by an attempt at fairness. My parents were both molested as kids and were open about that with me when talking about justice and power. They also taught forgiveness. So, I was aware of others having trauma that caused trauma and this endless cycle. Lke Hegseth pretending like he's not an absolute punk. Or Hitler. lol. And that's why I think individual character in contribution to the wider group is such a panacea for civilization's ills. Not in a status game, but for your own excellence to be your aim not for your own benefit but for society's. In this should be a just reward and so many other things to work out by policy. Which is way above my pay grade. I just think about humanity, mind, history, soul, people, and character. I think these are the root of it all. Most are already operating under this premise.