Comment by bawana | Hacker News Reader

Comment by bawana | Hacker News Reader

Humans are creatures that evolved at an interface - the boundary between the earth and the atmosphere, the boundary between the known and the unknown. We have evolved to solve problems in the face of the unknown. American ingenuity embodies this spirit. OTOH, 'intelligence' is simply the recapitulation of stuff people have already talked about and done. This arthritic view is European. The actual application of 'intelligence' to the unknown is a rare activity that very few have embarked on. The authors of 'intelligence' constitute a handful of individuals in the sea of billions that inhabit this planet. How many Asimov's are there? I can feel his loneliness at the top but have no compassion for it. Is it no surprise then that Americans have eschewed blind worship of an elite priesthood? That kind of behavior is a shortcut to abdicating your brain. I respect those people who have honestly forged their place in the world without relying on deceit, subterfuge, delegation, entitlements, etc. These people have a vision for their lives and move in that direction, not the cult-like flocking behavior of the 'literati' peering into their smartphones for the latest liturgy.

> 'intelligence' is simply the recapitulation of stuff people have already talked about and done

Your definition of intelligence is simply knowledge. That's a shaky foundation to build any sensible reasoning.

You make efforts not to call "American ingenuity" as intelligence. No, this ingenuity (which has nothing specificaly american about it) is just intelligence.

The actual application of 'prejudice' to the unknown is simply ideological rambling. American exceptionalism will never stop to astound me in its vacuity. Note that European are, or at least were equally guilty of it. But americans are only starting to know what it is to be an old society. To have entrenched interests furthering inequalities and hindering innovation (divide between the golden people from california and the inner-country pop). The new age of protectionism is there and America is on its forefront.

> Is it no surprise then that Americans have eschewed blind worship of an elite priesthood?

"Is it no surprise that humans applied very human behaviors to employ conceptual shortcuts in trying times?"

You reek of arrogance. This is pretty ironic, considering that the subtext of your comment is itself a critic of a supposed european smugness.

You make false dichotomies and try to make this in some sort of "USA vs. Europe" imaginary war.

Why must you do that?

False conflations of nations and ways of thinking, and accusing people of being full of themselves while you yourself expose such a behaviour.

You need a hug, man.

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