I'm no fan of Rumsfeld. While I find celebrating people's deaths in bad taste, I'll say I think a lot of humans died because of his actions, and I do not think he made the world a better place. He...
I'm no fan of Rumsfeld. While I find celebrating people's deaths in bad taste, I'll say I think a lot of humans died because of his actions, and I do not think he made the world a better place. He was one of the chief architects of the Iraq invasion. For those that are interested more about this, the excellent Slow Burn podcast Season 5 is about the Iraq invasion and touches on this.
However, there is one tiny thing I do like about Rumseld - so called Rumsfeldian Epistemology.
because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns—the ones we don't know we don't know
It's a nice way of classifying knowledge, and I find I use it even in work contexts, like estimating software projects and leaving in buffer for "unknown unknowns." He used it to advocate for starting a war though, which is nontrivially worse than my software inefficiencies.
I never understood why he was given so much heat for that statement. It's a true, and useful statement. I could see myself saying something very similar if the context called for it.
I never understood why he was given so much heat for that statement. It's a true, and useful statement. I could see myself saying something very similar if the context called for it.
Thanks. That makes sense. The problem is that most of the criticism was framed as if he was just babbling and saying nonsense, but the phrase itself makes perfect sense if you actually read it. I...
Thanks. That makes sense. The problem is that most of the criticism was framed as if he was just babbling and saying nonsense, but the phrase itself makes perfect sense if you actually read it. I suspect that a lot of the criticism was lost in translation and people who didn't understand the statement just heard "lots of words, confusing, must be bad".
I didn't quite understand the criticism over that statement, either. It has always reminded me of the Johari window, just using a slightly different phrasing.
I didn't quite understand the criticism over that statement, either. It has always reminded me of the Johari window, just using a slightly different phrasing.
I'm no fan of Rumsfeld. While I find celebrating people's deaths in bad taste, I'll say I think a lot of humans died because of his actions, and I do not think he made the world a better place. He was one of the chief architects of the Iraq invasion. For those that are interested more about this, the excellent Slow Burn podcast Season 5 is about the Iraq invasion and touches on this.
However, there is one tiny thing I do like about Rumseld - so called Rumsfeldian Epistemology.
(source)
It's a nice way of classifying knowledge, and I find I use it even in work contexts, like estimating software projects and leaving in buffer for "unknown unknowns." He used it to advocate for starting a war though, which is nontrivially worse than my software inefficiencies.
I never understood why he was given so much heat for that statement. It's a true, and useful statement. I could see myself saying something very similar if the context called for it.
Thanks. That makes sense. The problem is that most of the criticism was framed as if he was just babbling and saying nonsense, but the phrase itself makes perfect sense if you actually read it. I suspect that a lot of the criticism was lost in translation and people who didn't understand the statement just heard "lots of words, confusing, must be bad".
Sadly, I'd be willing to bet this Rumsfeldian Epistemology may be what he's remembered for long into the future.
I know what you mean. My dad's already talking about him in the same way he talked about both Bushes once Trump got elected.
I didn't quite understand the criticism over that statement, either. It has always reminded me of the Johari window, just using a slightly different phrasing.
It's rude to celebrate a death, best to mourn the life.