I don’t know if you’re aware of this but this is like the epitome of “iamverysmart” style speech. You might think that your way of speaking is so advanced that everyone else not understanding it is just dumber than you, but the reality is proper communication is about making communication as clear and concise as possible to as wide an audience as possible.
That’s really neat, but just because someone’s use of language doesn’t match your own doesn’t always mean there’s something wrong with them that they need to change. An important part of communication is an earnest attempt to understand the speaker, instead of just dismissing what they’ve expressed outright because you don’t like their word choice.
Frankly I already “dumbed it down” quite considerably from the original quote, in which Copernicus expressed the reasons he was reluctant to share his research proving the Earth orbits the Sun:
Therefore I debated with myself for a long time whether to publish the volume which I wrote to prove the earth’s motion or rather to follow the example of the Pythagoreans and certain others, who used to transmit philosophy’s secrets only to kinsmen and friends, not in writing but by word of mouth, as is shown by Lysis’ letter to Hipparchus. And they did so, it seems to me, not, as some suppose, because they were in some way jealous about their teachings, which would be spread around; on the contrary, they wanted the very beautiful thoughts attained by great men of deep devotion not to be ridiculed by those who are reluctant to exert themselves vigorously in any literary pursuit unless it is lucrative; or if they are stimulated to the nonacquisitive study of philosophy by the exhortation and example of others, yet because of their dullness of mind they play the same part among philosophers as drones among bees.
This is ironically the exact attitude that passage speaks of. You are presented with an excerpt from one of the most important works of science ever produced, and can do nothing but mock it.
I don’t know if you’re aware of this but this is like the epitome of “iamverysmart” style speech. You might think that your way of speaking is so advanced that everyone else not understanding it is just dumber than you, but the reality is proper communication is about making communication as clear and concise as possible to as wide an audience as possible.
That’s really neat, but just because someone’s use of language doesn’t match your own doesn’t always mean there’s something wrong with them that they need to change. An important part of communication is an earnest attempt to understand the speaker, instead of just dismissing what they’ve expressed outright because you don’t like their word choice.
Frankly I already “dumbed it down” quite considerably from the original quote, in which Copernicus expressed the reasons he was reluctant to share his research proving the Earth orbits the Sun:
r/iamverysmart in a nutshell here
But he insists that he’s very smart. The sad thing is, someone in his life believes him.
This is ironically the exact attitude that passage speaks of. You are presented with an excerpt from one of the most important works of science ever produced, and can do nothing but mock it.
Inability to make yourself understood to those you’re speaking with is a sign of low intelligence.