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Finally... => General Discussion => Topic started by: Scoops Novel on December 15, 2021, 08:30:22 pm

Title: Brevity is the soul of wit... so what's the spirit?
Post by: Scoops Novel on December 15, 2021, 08:30:22 pm

There's a difference between wit and jokes, you see. Not just humour.

Title: Re: Brevity is the soul of wit... so what's the spirit?
Post by: Frumple on December 15, 2021, 09:04:20 pm

Hypnotoad's love is the spirit of wit, natch.

Title: Re: Brevity is the soul of wit... so what's the spirit?
Post by: Il Palazzo on December 15, 2021, 09:07:42 pm

Has NS always been a robot, or is this a recent development?

Title: Re: Brevity is the soul of wit... so what's the spirit?
Post by: wierd on December 15, 2021, 10:16:50 pm

The spirit?
Im partial to Crown. ;)

Title: Re: Brevity is the soul of wit... so what's the spirit?
Post by: None on December 15, 2021, 10:54:09 pm

Quote from: Il Palazzo on December 15, 2021, 09:07:42 pm

Has NS always been a robot, or is this a recent development?

NS is always looking for a literal meanings to abstract aphorisms, which is why 'knowledge is power' led to such a tizzy.

Title: Re: Brevity is the soul of wit... so what's the spirit?
Post by: wierd on December 16, 2021, 12:45:00 am

but in some instances, it totally is literal.

Take for instance, a working knowledge of basic chemistry.  It can open a lot of doors; In terms of principle hard sciences, it is the most empowering, I feel. It's almost like learning fucking magic.

The aphorism is more intended for things like, "knowing about the political process, increases your access to that system, and thus to your representation" type "power", but again, knowing how to do things, removes helplessness. That is REAL power.  The power to act decisively, when and as needed.

But I rather liked my quip about the spirit of wit being alcohol. :)

Title: Re: Brevity is the soul of wit... so what's the spirit?
Post by: None on December 16, 2021, 12:49:32 am

The thread about 'knowledge is power' was treating it literally like magic, however.

Title: Re: Brevity is the soul of wit... so what's the spirit?
Post by: Egan_BW on December 16, 2021, 04:38:37 am

Could you give us some real thoughts, rather than these randomly generated ones? Just not as satisfying to chew on, you know.

Title: Re: Brevity is the soul of wit... so what's the spirit?
Post by: Scoops Novel on December 16, 2021, 06:41:14 am

Quote from: Egan_BW on December 16, 2021, 04:38:37 am

Could you give us some real thoughts, rather than these randomly generated ones? Just not as satisfying to chew on, you know.

Its a genuine question. I've given some thought to the spirit of things before. "The eyes have the soul, the voice has the spurit".

The spirit you do something in is very important, and brevity alone isn't it.

Clarity?

Title: Re: Brevity is the soul of wit... so what's the spirit?
Post by: scriver on December 16, 2021, 07:20:52 am

Brännvin spiced with Saint John's Wort, of course

Title: Re: Brevity is the soul of wit... so what's the spirit?
Post by: MaxTheFox on December 16, 2021, 07:37:05 am

To me soul and spirit are the same thing. But if I had to pick something I'd say "meaning".

Title: Re: Brevity is the soul of wit... so what's the spirit?
Post by: scriver on December 16, 2021, 07:43:00 am

Quote from: wierd on December 16, 2021, 12:45:00 am

but in some instances, it totally is literal.

Take for instance, a working knowledge of basic chemistry.  It can open a lot of doors

You don't need to blow doors up or acid-melt them down to open them. You can just use your hands

Title: Re: Brevity is the soul of wit... so what's the spirit?
Post by: scriver on December 16, 2021, 07:43:45 am

Quote from: wierd on December 15, 2021, 10:16:50 pm

The spirit?
Im partial to Crown. ;)

Wait is this a booze joke? I was too late wasn't I :(

Title: Re: Brevity is the soul of wit... so what's the spirit?
Post by: King Zultan on December 16, 2021, 12:39:39 pm

Quote from: scriver on December 16, 2021, 07:43:00 am

Quote from: wierd on December 16, 2021, 12:45:00 am

but in some instances, it totally is literal.

Take for instance, a working knowledge of basic chemistry.  It can open a lot of doors

You don't need to blow doors up or acid-melt them down to open them. You can just use your hands

But where's the fun in doing it the boring regular way?

Title: Re: Brevity is the soul of wit... so what's the spirit?
Post by: Cthulhu on December 16, 2021, 01:03:16 pm

probably snong chondo

Title: Re: Brevity is the soul of wit... so what's the spirit?
Post by: dragdeler on December 16, 2021, 01:26:36 pm

It is all in the name, open to see for everybody. One day, through unlucky circumstances, novelscoops got coerced into an oppressive contract. The whole thing gradually spun out of control, years later, they have novel scoops' whole family - the wive, the husband, the kids, the parents, the grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and family in law - and he must keep publishing articles at an insane rate if he wants them to live. So excuse them if the novel scoops are formulated in a hurry, they haven't slept for more than 4 hours on end in years! The only reason I can talk about it so freely is that novel scoop has been skimming so many forums, and opening so many threads, that his abusers couldn't possibly find this proverbial needle in a haystack my post constitutes. So folks if you have no musings to contribute towards NC's quill, or liver towards their debt, I would like to ask you to behave uninterruptive to these endeavors.

Quote from: Cthulhu on December 16, 2021, 01:03:16 pm

probably snong chondo

See, Ctulhu gets it. Thanks for your input, your guess is as good as any.

Title: Re: Brevity is the soul of wit... so what's the spirit?
Post by: anewaname on December 16, 2021, 01:40:26 pm

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Literal to figurative, figurative to literal...

Language changes because new words are needed to communicate.
Language changes because new words are needed to hide communication.

How do you describe the changes of the last 300 years to the word "dope, doping"? Can you describe it to a person, or to an AI?

If you see two individuals exchanging sonic and reflective signals and you understand the symbols, does it mean you will understand the context they were spoken in? Is the order of the symbols part of the context? Are the pauses between the symbols more important than the symbols?

Brevity is...
Soul is...
Wit is...
Spirit is...
What meanings do each symbol have?
What order were they presented in?
What were the language and time and events of the decade that the phrase was first attributed?
What language and time and events surround and have surrounded the current speaker?
Is the current speaker's ratio of conformity and what is their deviancy of conformity?

Then... The (spirit of wit) is (the speed and precision) at which (the wit) was delivered.

The spirit of wit is the speed and precision of the delivered wit.

Title: Re: Brevity is the soul of wit... so what's the spirit?
Post by: Il Palazzo on December 16, 2021, 04:38:28 pm

Oh wow. That looks almost like a coherent argument!

Title: Re: Brevity is the soul of wit... so what's the spirit?
Post by: EuchreJack on December 16, 2021, 05:09:35 pm

@Novel Scoops: I had a similar phase almost a year ago, and generally dumped my stuff into one thread (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=178032.msg8244087#msg8244087), with a second thread on a very specific area (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=178099.msg8248242#msg8248242), rather than various areas.  Uh, maybe you could run just one Novel Scoops Philosophy thread (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=179316.0) rather than the multiple ones, or at least wait until all your threads are off the first page?

Although personally, my favorite is the Future Thread (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=179248.0).

Also, writing helps and might be an appropriate response to this question. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=179315.0)