No, but engineers presume they are capable of designing societies.

Off Topic » in reply to For the metaphor to be accurate...

ER — 9/21/2013 9:00:42 PM (archived)

No, but engineers presume they are capable of designing societies.

Something for which they possess absolutely no qualifications. That is an error no poet would ever make. Poets, however, are eminently qualified to know when a society doesn't work. That's their job.

As for Galloping Gertie, everybody makes mistakes. The real error is not in making a mistake, or even in making it again, but in believing you're so clever you can't make any.

The whole thread (19 posts)

The Ballad of Tom Bombadude - ER - 9/21/2013 6:29:04 PM
- It's important to have people with the mind of a poet in a society. - TB - 9/21/2013 7:37:44 PM
  - Yeah, but to really screw things up properly requires the hubris of an engineer. - ER - 9/21/2013 8:09:31 PM
    - For the metaphor to be accurate... - TB - 9/21/2013 8:19:37 PM
      - No, but engineers presume they are capable of designing societies. - ER - 9/21/2013 9:00:42 PM
        
        Yeah? Point to one. - TB - 9/21/2013 9:16:34 PM
        
        Tom, you're the one around here who knows exactly how economies and governments should be organized. - ER - 9/21/2013 9:46:58 PM
        
        Heh. - TB - 9/21/2013 9:55:28 PM
        
        You answered my post before I was done editing it. Go back and re-read it. - ER - 9/21/2013 10:14:58 PM
        
        Actually... - TB - 9/21/2013 11:23:43 PM
        
        Einsteins's letter cooroborates my observations precisely. - ER - 9/22/2013 12:04:39 AM
        
        Just FYI, - TB - 9/22/2013 2:15:54 AM
        
        Not bad, considering I read that passage about a half century ago. - ER - 9/22/2013 3:12:38 AM
        
        Your views would make sense... - TB - 9/22/2013 1:55:55 AM
        
        Rubbish. - ER - 9/22/2013 3:38:15 AM
        
        ...and more rubbish - ER - 9/22/2013 12:44:12 PM
        
        "Really annoying" - TB - 9/22/2013 3:49:19 PM
        
        P.S. the ballad was pretty damn good. - TB - 9/21/2013 11:39:11 PM
        
        It should have been. I spent all damn morning working on it. - ER - 9/22/2013 12:07:50 AM

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