Wolfire Games Forums

If what the majority does is sane ... that would mean you are insane

what the majority does is not always sane, especially in small instances like this, if however we took examples from the entire world then it would be slightly more true, but still in such small amounts the majority could well be insane.

Yes, but then you have to go into the definitions of "insane", which is pure hell to try to do. Most people just go with "the majority of any given population" being sane, the inverse being insane. That would make me insane for the population of this forum (or thread), but possibly not for the rest of the world.

Count Roland wrote:what the majority does is not always sane, especially in small instances like this, if however we took examples from the entire world then it would be slightly more true, but still in such small amounts the majority could well be insane.

So you're saying the insane minority is posting in this forum? ... possible, but statistically improbable ...

... maybe i'll tally up the users and calculate the odds

(dunno what psychology has to say about the subject ... never taken a class ... but i imagine how the majority thinks is what is considered normal/sane ... thus why insane people are criticized and are social outcasts)

normal maybe, sane not necessarily. over 60% of America's Overweight, that's the majority of America, but you notice we're not claiming that it's not that they're overweight but that everyone else is underweight. same can be applied to psychology, maybe the majority's not entirely correct mentally and hold views which make them insane, doesn't mean that they're sane and anyone who doesn't agree with them is insane.

I'm not saying all things are defined by the norm. I'm saying that I define sanity by the norm, because there is no other way to define it.

I define sanity as proper functioning of the mind including the ability to think coherently and logically.

Count Roland wrote:I define sanity as proper functioning of the mind including the ability to think coherently and logically.

Uh huh.

Now define "proper".

That's my problem with sanity. Everything is so arbitrary. And in such arbitrary cases, "proper" can only be defined by the perceived norm. Or what works best with society, which is almost the same thing. Of course, the same can be said about morality.

Eagle0600 wrote:Of course, the same can be said about morality.

Don't even let me get started about defining morality.

Zhukov wrote:

Count Roland wrote:I define sanity as proper functioning of the mind including the ability to think coherently and logically.

Uh huh.

Now define "proper".

Quit being an ass. Shared irrationality is arguably still sanity, so I put my vote in comparative judgement.

Maturity is knowing that you were an idiot in the past.
Wisdom is knowing that you'll be an idiot in the future.
Common sense is knowing that you'll be an idiot now.

Anyway, enough derailment. Can we get back on topic or just drop it?

Is there anything left of the topic to discuss?

I think not.

In that case, I will post a short video recording of America's dear post-president, please welcome Mr. Bush!*

BUSH GAFFE.MOV (1.1 MB)
[Click link to go to filedropper download page. Video is short and very very funny ]



*Please note strong use of sarcasm.

Uberbeard wrote:Quit being an ass...

It was not my intention to "be an ass".

I was simply pointing out, in as succinct a manner as possible, the problems inherent in presenting a technical definition that simply offers a second term in place of the one being defined. Such problems are all the more evident when the second term is relative and somewhat nebulous.