The Absurdity of it All

Expository Writing 101:

50-60-70 year old ears stating with certainty that what they hear is proof positive of the efficacy of analog, uber-cables, tweaks...name your favorite latest and greatest audio "advancement." How many rock concerts under the bridge? Did we ever wear ear protection with our chain saws? Believe what you will, but hearing degrades with age and use and abuse. To pontificate authority while relying on damaged goods is akin to the 65 year old golfer believing his new $300 putter is going to improve his game. And his game MAY get better, but it is the belief that matters. Everything matters, but the brain matters the most.

You were doing a pretty good job (okay honestly you were doing a horrible job, but pretty good for here) building a case for, well something. You are upset- triggered, frustrated, confused- that much is clear.

Point being to encourage more humility and less dogmatism.

Ahh, and you thought to accomplish this with.... a bunch of unrelated gripes?

D-.

If you submit a re-write today we will drop the D-. Agreed?

Chuck,
Thanks for the passing grade. Maybe if I re-write you will consider a re-right. Joe

I can still hear a pin drop! I was born in the last year of the Truman Administration. Anybody remember "The buck stops here"?

Experience brings wisdom - we hope!

 Few points:

First, your general point -- "dogmatism is bad" -- seems easy to grant. To that I would only add, "Mean people suck."

Second, people who have learned to listen may have more to say than people who haven't, regardless of age. I used to think that if I was having a problem with my computer, I could just ask any nearby teenager or twenty-something. Turns out, most of them don't know how these things work, either. Find someone who knows, and age is irrelevant. Indeed, people using computers longer know more because you had to do more to get them to work, early on.

Third, if my hearing is that of a 50-something, why wouldn't I want the advice of someone in my generation, with a roughly commensurate hearing ability? We don't ask kids about the taste of wine because their taste buds are not in the same state as ours, and their preferences are wildly different.