the reaction to the (good) octopus thread reminds me that one of the least-valued intellectual skills in the world is discerning whether something is “stupid” / “incomprehensible” or simply “out of my comfort zone”

the decision whether to persevere with something, especially if initial costs are high, is difficult, and one which constantly crops up in further study, and the threshold is not the same for everyone - “is this going to be useful? it seems really weird” was a constant problem

if you’re serious about getting into it, there’s loads you can read, but if you’re not bothered, then why dunk on it? if something is harmful, then of course, dunk away, but if it is open, generous, exploratory and difficult, there might be more value in being generous or silent

my least favourite left beef is between people who lean into cultural theory and C20th continental philosophy and those who think this is a betrayal