A child putting its hand into a candle flame is dumb (the first time
anyway). Me putting my hand into a candle flame would be stupid.
I remember having my idea of putting video with audio on laser disks called
stupid by my roommate in 1975. A few years later my idea for moving this
video/audio fantasy to a cable TV channel was stupid. The early-80's I had
this 'stupid' idea of yet another cable channel...this one catering to my
science-fiction addiction. The late 80's found my stupidity
overwhelming....ideas of using computers to enhance movies (fantasy about
having Humphrey Bogart's Sam Spade character disgusted with Columbo over
Marilyn Monroe as the murderess). My friends and relatives thought all my
ideas unworthy but someone else had friends and family who didn't, and they
are now in far better financial means.
Many ideas cannot be classed 'stupid' until after their implementation.
Let me ask a question. Was the idea of nuclear power stupid or dumb?
david_laws@nih.gov
-----Original Message-----
quoth David Laws
: An idea must be expressed and debated before it can be finally classed
: 'stupid'. A 'doctor' in the 18th century would have considered the idea
of
: NOT bleeding an ailing individual 'stupid'.
Fine. Is it okay if I make an initial estimate of an idea's stupidity,
and concentrate on the least-stupid-appearing first, or do you insist that
all ideas get equal attention until PROVEN stupid?
Anton Sherwood *\\* +1 415 267 0685 *\\* DASher@netcom.com