I agree, but aaronsw must come at an issue as a raging partisan. I know that in economics, philosophy, politics, and apparently best programmer ever!!!, he always comes at the issue with a deeply contentious point of view from an entrenched idealogical camp.
It's kind of a shame because of the the advantages of being young is being able to approach a field without having to take sides. Meaningful dialog and inquiry void of motivated reasoning are beautiful things. Unfortunately, some people need an argument.
the advantages of being young is being able to approach a field without having to take sides.
You must be describing your youth, not mine! My experience with youth is that it was the period of my life in which the whites were blindingly white, the blacks impossibly back, and there were no colours or shades of grey to distract us from our belief that we knew exactly what was right and what was wrong.
And thank goodness, because a belief in right and wrong can propel you to change the world while you have the energy to carry it through :-)
It's kind of a shame because of the the advantages of being young is being able to approach a field without having to take sides. Meaningful dialog and inquiry void of motivated reasoning are beautiful things. Unfortunately, some people need an argument.