Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Looking into the Male Mind

I will save the larger philosophical issues for another post, but today I want to direct your attention to Susan Walsh’s post on the male mind, on her blog Hooking Up Smart. Link here.

Some will find it interesting because they are involved in dating and mating games. Others are looking for some insights that will help them to guide their children.

Where did Susan garner her insights? Simply, from the males who have contributed to the comments section of her blog.

Like any comments section on a blog, hers is an open forum, sometimes sensible, sometimes raucous, sometimes  signed, sometimes anonymous.

It’s nothing if not a marketplace of ideas.

When the concept of a marketplace of ideas was first introduced into jurisprudence, we were told that free and open discussion was the best path to the truth.

This is not quite the same thing as asking experts for their opinion; it is not even the same as doing a survey.

At a time when many of our more liberal friends are trying to tar the marketplace of ideas as a bad thing that needs regulation, if not censorship, it’s valuable to look at the wisdom that one can garner from a free and open discussion… here, of male dating behavior.

5 comments:

Chuck Pelto said...

TO: Dr. Schneiderman
RE: The 'Open' Marketplace of Ideas

At a time when many of our more liberal friends are trying to tar the marketplace of ideas as a bad thing that needs regulation, if not censorship.... -- Stuart Schneiderman

It's not just our 'liberal' friends who practice censorship. I'm familiar with a number of so-called 'conservative' friends who will 'kill' you for the open discussion of ideas. That is if they don't agree with those ideas. Mention my name to Amy Alkon. But stand out of sputter range.

I think I've mentioned it before in other topical items on this blog.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives. -- President James Madison]

David Foster said...

"At a time when many of our more liberal friends are trying to tar the marketplace of ideas as a bad thing that needs regulation, if not censorship.."

Friends can disagree about policy. But when a person tries to shut down open interchange of ideas, he is no longer a friend or even an honorable opponent, but rather an enemy.

Chuck Pelto said...

TO: David
RE: Yes

....when a person tries to shut down open interchange of ideas, he is no longer a friend or even an honorable opponent, but rather an enemy. -- David

Indeed.

I like the way Thomas Jefferson put it....

I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.

However, he also said....

An injured friend is the bitterest of foes.

Fortunately, for me at least, I have few friends. Good advice from another earlier philosopher....

Friends should be few and well chosen. -- Samuel Johnson

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson]

Susan Walsh said...

Stuart, thanks so much for featuring my post! As I said on HUS, I am grateful for the time and effort that so many men have invested in sharing thoughtful commentary. I learned a tremendous amount from them last year.

In my ongoing conversations with young women, comments by the men come up again and again. Although the blog serves as the conduit, there really is critical information being shared across the gender divide. I hope some will find it helpful.

Stuart Schneiderman said...

You're very welcome, Susan. As many of the commenters on your site have been saying, it was a great post, one that certainly deserves to be widely disseminated.

I was most impressed by the way you put it together by reading the comments in an open discussion forum. It buttresses one's faith in the marketplace of ideas.