Re[2]: interview with Oracle

Thursday, June 30, 2005, 4:33:02 PM, Dougie McGibbon (DMcGibbon@xxxxxxxxxxxx) 
wrote:
DM> If you were transported back into the 14th century, how would you convince
DM> the pope that the Earth was round ?
 
I was discussing this very problem with a neighbor kid today<grin>. We
were actually discussing the question of whether a falling tree makes
noise if no one is around to hear it, but the issue is the same. Of
course the tree makes noise, and anyone who argues differently is just
trying to annoy and frustrate you (though I suppose you might first
need to agree on a definition for "noise").

The solution is not to argue the point at all. I don't waste energy on
such arguments. Life is far less frustrating that way. It's pointless
to argue with someone who already knows they are arguing for something
that isn't true.

The pope is infallible, so, of course, any pope in the 14th century
already knew the earth was round. Were such a pope to argue that the
earth was flat, he would just be trying to "get your goat", so to
speak, to annoy you, and you're best off ignoring him. After all, if
he's purposely arguing a position he knows is wrong, no argument you
can give will change his position.

That's my answer, and I'm stickin' to it :-)

Best regards,

Jonathan Gennick --- Brighten the corner where you are
http://Gennick.com * 906.387.1698 * mailto:jonathan@xxxxxxxxxxx

Join the Oracle-article list and receive one
article on Oracle technologies per month by 
email. To join, visit http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/oracle-article, 
or send email to Oracle-article-request@xxxxxxxxxxx and 
include the word "subscribe" in either the subject or body.

--
http://www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l

Other related posts: