[thechat] better argument this time

[javier velasco]

not that I want to take this discussion forever... lol, actually the
rationality subject line seemed eternal and was annoying

But I realize my previous argument was cheap and weak, I just remembered
a better resource to help explain what i mean by saying rationality is
good but not enough...

How to Think With Your Gut
http://www.business2.com/articles/mag/print/0,1643,44584,00.html

This is a very interesting article about how critical situations force
decision makers to leave tehir thought behind and follow their guts.
they explain that the subconscious mind has a special ability to
recognize patters in stuff and act quickly yet effectively.

in one part of the article, they quote a study that classified problems
into 4 categories, as:

-The problem is covered by rules.
-The situation is complicated.
-The situation is complex.
-The situation is chaotic.

they discovered that the harder teh proble, the less useful rational
thought becomes, just to quote one phrase:

"The situation is complex. This sort of problem can't be resolved by
rational analysis. Too much is unknowable. Complex systems --
battlefields, markets, ecosystems, corporate cultures -- are impervious
to a reductionist, take-it-apart-and-see-how-it-works approach because
your very actions change the situation in unpredictable ways..."


-
i agree that this would be much more fun if we were sitting in a bar,
except for the fact that aard doesn't drink and he'd have a huge
advantage over the rest of us, hic ;)

 cheers !
javier