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Comment by DanielBMarkham | Hacker News Reader

I like crackpots.

I would say more, like defending the idea of unusual thinking or pointing out great people in history who have been thought of as crackpots, but, alas, that would make me a crackpot too.

I love a system that prevents itself from being criticized.

Let's just say that if you're trying a startup with true world-changing potential, like Google, FaceBook, YouTube, etc -- don't read the list because you're a crackpot too.

What's the old saying? Just because you are paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get you. Well just because you are a crackpot doesn't mean you can't change the world, either. Lots of crackpots have.

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"They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright Brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown."

- Carl Sagan

Unusual thinking itself is not valuable. Unusual thinking with rigor is.

Sure. But unusual thinking does not mean a lack of rigor. Simply because you qualify as a crackpot doesn't mean you lack rigor or potential. Just means you're provocative and "out there"

And I liked Bozo the Clown.

Then we have different definitions of "crackpot." My working definition is someone who is convinced their ideas are better than orthodoxy despite no evidence in their favor and reasoning that lacks rigor.

The author of the list is a mathematical physicist. I assume the list is inspired by the letters he receives from people who are sure they've disproved relativity or quantum mechanics.

Rigor is relative, unless you're talking about formal proofs. This struck me as simply a guideline to use in regular conversations with anybody you might meet on the street.

I know who the guy is. I'm just saying there's a fine line between busy and can't be bothered and a pompous asshole with poor social skills.

The list makes me lean towards the latter opinion.

Please consider revising your comment.

You're right.

The last comment was too harsh. If I still had editing capabilities, I'd revise it.

Oddly enough, I'm guilty of the very point I was trying to make.

Thanks for catching it. Apologies to the group for my poor taste.

I like Feynman's phraseology: "Obviously your idea is crazy. All good ideas are crazy. The question is whether your idea is crazy enough."

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