What gives you more power?

[Rg339]

Credentials get a person considered for a job. Beyond that, what matters is how eloquently the candidate can describe their skills, whether or not they have them.

Maybe. Assuming the credentials are equal.
If candidate A has a Harvard degree and B has one from a respectable state university, I’d bet it goes to A even if his interview underwhelms compared to B.

System of credentials is beginning to resemble ancient China and its imperial exams. There’s a class of people who monopolize impressive credentials based on wealth. Most people can’t really compete because they lack the starting adv $ provides. Not only that, but because they aren’t part of the class from the start, they cannot familiarize themselves with the social protocol of this class, meaning, the Harvard guy is likely also more familiar with the protocols that will impress interviewers.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

and who owns the media?

Wall St, war profiteers, drug dealers

to name a few yeah.

anyway, if you want to ask which has had the most lasting impact on humanity as a whole wrt long-term benefits/advancement, math skill wins easily. but that's considering math conceptually in how it benefits humanity as a whole. this thread does not ask that.

the thread asks "you personally", and one's power/control over the impact of advancements arising from strong math knowledge is limited at the *personal* level. any one particular person is more likely able to effect lasting changes through connections/media representation/propaganda than through math capability. this is especially true if we also consider that this "power" can lead to *negative* changes as well. the world still feels negative impact from changes effected by leaders who were in power in ww2 and a few decades after. that's enduring enough to count as "longstanding" in my mind. i'm not sure whether those people had advanced math capability (probably not once in power, you lose things you don't use), but they definitely had media/institutional backing, either willingly or by force.

in the long run, will gandhi be more impactful to how society changes than advancements by scientists of his time, with that knowledge passed down and built upon by others? no. but those advancements are dispersed over many, many people. any one particular person does not have the apparent "power" gandhi had in terms of effecting change. and this thread asks which gives us more power, personally.

 

[Hygro]

I think we all agree the knowledge is pretty widespread about what is good (enough for the next few steps).

would anyone disagree that power is therefore a worthier goal?

 

[GenMarshall]

I think we all agree the knowledge is pretty widespread about what is good (enough for the next few steps).

“Knowlage is power!” - Khadgar, World of Warcraft

 

[El_Machinae]

I'm really torn with my answer. When it comes to appearance, I happen to have features that the media has trained people to respect (or, somewhat expect. I 'looked terrorist' for about a decade after 9/11, but that vibe isn't there any more). So, I coast on that.

But my math skills, and math-adjacent knowledge base, is what gives me actual sway when we compare my output to my peers. So, in a proximate sense, I can credit that. But, without the foundation of representation, I don't know where I'd be.

I also hold that deadlifting is valuable, in the power sense. But my actual ability to intimidate or impose my will that way is ... rare.

 

[innonimatu]

Power, specifically as effecting longstanding changes in society, to whatever degree. This list is meant to be limited, so I appreciate your participation.

So you're asking whether being given some real education or being given any of three kinds of bullcrap talk gives me power?
It's an easy choice. But none of the 4 is of much help as power goes, individually. And in fact currently there are probably more people making a living from peddling bullcrap - and feeling powerful about it - than making a living from advanced math skills.

Can I plug a webcomic about just that?

 

[amadeus]

Can I plug a webcomic about just that?

I don't get it.

Wait, is it about how grad students are obnoxious?

edit: forgot the whole reason I came here to begin with. Not sure I want more power. More power = more responsibility = more expectations. How do I know what's best for someone?

 

[Kaitzilla]

“Knowlage is power!” - Khadgar, World of Warcraft

"Power is power" - Cersei, Game of Thrones

 

[AdamCrock]

Being a vampire is supposed to give You more power... but here I was expecting more of it and all I've got is just a badass sunburn.... a headache, an eternal thirst worse than my alcoholism , no perks involved at all .... I'ts better to have a pizza, trust me.... otherwise it'a painful, soul destroying, no profit, not worth it. What really gives You power is doing something good , just try it and You'll see,, ....
Of course I am not of the one fabled undead but I can imagine and imagination is pretty much the drive behind those tales (Obviously I am making this up .....or am I ? ) Suck See You soon ! xD

 

[citizenofdoom]

option 1 surely pushes me away from people i care about since i had to maintain that stupid image
option 2 doesn't help me to earn any respect from people i care about at all
option 4 put me into jail
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
a turning point of my life is that i learnt real analysis from two books(analysis1 & analysis2).
it pulled me out of a three year depression.
its the first time in my life
capable of modeling the happiness i should be heading to
i really wish if i can learn complex analysis as a hobby.
but time doesn't allow it.
my mental capacity doesn't allow it too,
advanced math can be applicated into real life daily works.
i meant it.
it's such a powerful tool.
you just need to find a random daily problem.
and apply math.
then its solved
so i guess
if i understand more advanced math, somehow
my life would be better
because it has been better since then
if i met some people who are depressing
i would suggest them to learn calculus/real analysis
then i think
they would become
happier and happier
everyday
cheers

 

[AdamCrock]

Yeah .... it's what it is .....

]

 

[Birdjaguar]

@Kaushad Welcome to Off topic!

To be fair you all already have power of the ballot. The question is what gives you more.

One often neglected aspect of power is timing. We all have various bits of power to toss about depending upon which aspects of our life we are talking about. When one uses that power chip can be very important. Too early or too late can diminish one's power over the situation considerably. One should give thought to when would be the most effective moment to exert one's influence. A little power at just the right moment can become suddenly much more powerful.

 

[Hygro]

There are lot of conspicuously missing voices/votes.

 

[River_Ghost]

There are lot of conspicuously missing voices/votes.

All. Representation, Education, and Military training. Without the stipulations of left leaning socio-political addendums, you would have more votes. Power is influence and/or control. The best power to possess is power over your own life; being self sustaining, owning your property, cultivating the mind and body. Power over society is, and always has been, reserved for a relative few. Most, in groups, that believe they have power are not at the top, they are being used from the top down. Improving your own life, and the things you can control, is the best way to insure your position in the world. Most all of what we see and hear everyday is not within our sphere of influence and unless it is useful to you, it may very well, be useless.

 

[Zardnaar]

None of that and it's all BS imho.

 

[Narz]

The best power to possess is power over your own life; being self sustaining, owning your property, cultivating the mind and body. Power over society is, and always has been, reserved for a relative few. Most, in groups, that believe they have power are not at the top, they are being used from the top down. Improving your own life, and the things you can control, is the best way to insure your position in the world. Most all of what we see and hear everyday is not within our sphere of influence and unless it is useful to you, it may very well, be useless.

This is good advice for the most part.

Even if one wants to make a difference if you can't get your own mind and home right it's very difficult to inspire others.

 

[citizenofdoom]

None of that and it's all BS imho.

Advanced math skill is a pathway to many abilities some considered to be unnatural

 

[River_Ghost]

abilities some considered to be unnatural

Please go on. That sounds interesting.

 

[Zardnaar]

Advanced math skill is a pathway to many abilities some considered to be unnatural

Very good.

Friends, family, fun things and the great outdoors power me.

 

[citizenofdoom]

Please go on. That sounds interesting.

Sorry. My feeble skills are no match for the power of Advanced Mathematics.

Very good.

Friends, family, fun things and the great outdoors power me.

Your fun things(excluding the great outdoor) probably have some weird power from advanced mathematics
Lazy is the path to the math side. Lazy leads to optimization. Optimization leads to calculation. Calculation leads to suffering.