[extropy-chat] Depressing Thought. -Mapping words to referents

[Harvey Newstrom]

Brett Paatsch wrote,
> Harvey wrote:
> > In fact, I believe almost all spam are frauds. ....
\
> This (my post) is off your topic Harvey hence the relabelled
> subject. 
> 
> I have some half-baked (perhaps) notion that using the
> word "belief" endorses it as a meme and that that is not
> helpful to reasoning.

Interesting idea.  I used the word to indicate my understanding of the
problem, but with a concession that I have not exhaustively investigated and
proven this to myself.

> In your use of the words "I believe" in the sentence above
> would your *meaning*  still have been preserved/captured etc
> by one or more of the following statements? 
> 
> "I reckon all spam are frauds"

Too colloquial and slangy to me.  I don't think this could be used in a
business report or an academic paper.  It sounds red-neck and uneducated
sounding.

> "I think all spam are frauds".

This sounds weaker to me.  I intended my belief to imply that I had reason
to believe.  This is a higher standard than most people use for their
beliefs, so it is probably misleading.  To me, "I think" sounds like a
student guessing at an answer.

> "I infer that all spam are frauds"

This sounds too weak to me.  Infer sounds like I don't have direct evidence
by think it is implied in some way.

> "I conclude that all spam are frauds"

This sounds too *strong* to me.  A conclusion sounds like the result of a
logical proof or an investigation in my mind.  I would not express my belief
as a conclusion without doing more methodical work to validate my belief.

> Perhaps some other word instead of belief?

I think I really meant "I posit..." even though you list this below as not
serving.  I believe it is true, and I posit this as a theory.  I have not
actually run statistics to prove my theory, but I would expect it to come
out that way.  Scientifically speaking, this is a belief in my mind.  It is
not a religious belief as most people would take it.

> Surely one of these would have NOT have served:
> 
> "I guess all spam are frauds"
> "I posit all spam are frauds"
> "I have faith that all spam are frauds"
> "I accept that all spam are frauds"

> Your feedback on this point with help me develop my mapping
> model of others-words to others-referents. (I know that others
> can see me doing this mapping exercise by posting on list - I want
> that to happen too - but as only you know what you meant by
> belief when you used it in a sentence only your feedback can
> give me your intended referent.)  

Good.  Can you tell me more why you dislike the word "belief"?  Do you see
it as a faith-based conclusion?  In my usage, any "belief" is a stored
statement of fact.  The word "belief" is more specific to say that this is
what is in my mind that is true, but not necessarily what is actually out in
the real world as true.  In my usage, it does not imply anything about the
methodology used to accept this belief.  I use scientific methods and logic,
but I can see how many people use religion or faith to accept beliefs.
Attaching these methodologies to beliefs would lessen their acceptance by
scientists or others rejecting these faith-based methodologies.

> Thanks

Welcomes.

> [In experimental communication engineering mode ;-)  

That what we're here for.

> PS: I do think this may be surprisingly important but even if I
> am wrong why not humor me.]

Yeah, why not.

-- 
Harvey Newstrom, CISSP, CISA, CISM, IAM, IBMCP, GSEC
Certified IS Security Pro, Certified IS Auditor, Certified InfoSec Manager,
NSA Certified Assessor, IBM Certified Consultant, SANS Certified GIAC
<HarveyNewstrom.com> <Newstaff.com>