If we for instance take, as an example, someone thoroughly explaining something which is clear to 99,9999% of the earths adult population don’t you think the remaining .0001% could come up with some? I get that this community is a place to allow people to ask questions they can’t or won’t ask elsewhere but I certainly feel stupid sometimes when I ask questions while attending courses etc.
So bottom line, how do you ask questions when you feel stupid?
Best answer so far, but I think it discounts one small but important thing, so I would like to elaborate on it. In a time when the scientific method itself is being thrown into distrust, how is a reasonable young person supposed to determine who they can trust to be truthful?
You can’t expect them to personally repeat the entire history of science experiments to verify the findings for themselves.
They do have one potential solution though, they can ask us. They can then watch us hash the answer out amongst ourselves, using the internets naturally argumentative nature to their advantage. They can directly question particular answerers, to unearth more detail that pertains specifically to what they are trying to understand.
This is all actually a pretty intelligent strategy, and I think it highlights the importance of spaces specifically like this one. It’s why I participate in them fairly actively, as my own internet debate chops are very, very thoroughly practiced, and that can actually be useful to others.
Great point. Draw on the shared knowledge of other people. Not only is it a smart idea, but it’s the entire foundation of what sets our species apart. To intentionally deprive yourself of that is ludicrous.