LANGUAGE WARNING: This blog has stronger language in it than I normally use, specifically the repeated use of the word "Bullshit". I'm following Harry G. Frankfurt's usage of the word because I find his technical definition helpful, and because I think the word is appropriate to convey my depth of feeling on the subject. 

I'm sorry for any offense, but please know I don't use it lightly. 

This post isn't about politics, or at least not just about politics. Having said that, these thoughts have definitely been pushed to the front of my mind by the state of American political discourse. The spark that finally got me writing was this Ted Talk, although you'll see that my thoughts drift elsewhere very quickly.

The specifics of Esther Duflo's talk are great, but it's the mindset behind it that I want to delve into. 

So many decisions are made in government, in business, and in everyday life, based on ideology and habit rather than an actual concern for the truth. But the truth is the only thing that matters. Your opinion doesn't matter, and my opinion doesn't matter. Nothing that can be empirically tested should be a matter of opinion. We can test, and we can know. 

If we want to accomplish anything meaningful in life, we have to be more concerned with reality than we are about being clever or winning arguments. And after you've done your experiments, and you find the truth, you have to act on it. It doesn't matter whose idea it was; if it works, do it. And it doesn't matter how "right" it feels; if it doesn't work, stop. 

I tend to be more optimistic than she was, but it’s undeniable that anything perceived as a challenge to the way things are is bound to be met with resistance. Resistance to change. Resistance to the very idea that change is needed. Even when the change would be positive. 

Here’s a relevant anecdote:

This is how you know I'm a copyright nerd: I read contest rules in their entirety. The contests I'm interested in almost always involve the submission of some work of art, so the transfer of rights involved in entering these contests is always fascinating.

Today, for example, I discovered that by entering your recording in this contest, not only do you grant the company running it the right to use the recording however they want forever, but they can also grant the same rights to anyone else. In theory, this means that they could sell your recording, or the rights to use your recording (e.g. to use it in a movie), making all the money they want without ever compensating you. 

Is that likely to happen? No. Is it worth knowing what you're getting into? Absolutely. I'll still probably enter, since it's just a cover contest, but I would definitely think twice before submitting something original.