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Comment by da02 | Hacker News Reader

I wish he was more direct and too-the-point. But, if he were, people would end up accusing him of being rude. What's the polite way of saying, "If you can't put a damn map on your poorly designed building, how are you going to solve the big problems in the world?!"

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The difference between "provocative" and "rude" is probably in the eyes of the beholders. As I alluded, the main job of giving a talk -- whether university or elsewhere -- is to help all wake up, including the speaker!

Right. I agree completely. Unfortunately, most people want to stay "asleep" in The Swamp of Familiarity.

It also does not help in today's bubble economy: companies are financially engineered and few innovations and inventions get made. A Big Idea to most people now-a-days is: "A small idea that makes big profits". So your job to cut through that and inspire people is a very important one.

How can you tell the difference between "visional laziness" and "visional blindness", i.e., too lazy to see or fail to see?

If people realize they are effectively blind and are actively trying to see in as many ways as possible, they are not being lazy. If they realize they are blind and are not trying to see, then they are lazy. Most people just think they can see and this is the toughest to get around.

Good point. That is why we need powerful telescopes and microscopes as well as powerful mathematical abstractions.

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