If you have the to ask the question.....

portcrap

"if you have to ask the question, you have no right to the answer" (Carla; Shantaram)

This is a quote from Shantaram. I was wondering what peoples thoughts were on this quote in terms of its meaning and what you believe this to mean?

The context is in reply to someone asking the antagonist of the book "what do you want?"

My take on it is that this statement means if you cannot be bothered to figure out the answer to a question yourself, you don't deserve an answer.

I find this a very subjective and in ways pejorative statement. For instance, surely one cannot figure out what someone else thinks or feels without asking them directly. Its too presumptuous to rely on your own thought process to work out someones else's thoughts or feelings.

I would really welcome someone else's thoughts on this.

18AD

Maybe it's to do with allowing someone to speak their own mind. If you keep asking someone questions you will most likely be asking the wrong questions and miss what someone truely wishes to express.

Omentum

I agree it's very subjective, but i guess thats what the author is alluding too.

I think what they mean is that if you have to ask the question you cannot not fully understand the answer. A question is subjective and so is it's answer.

Chuck Stone

Omentum wrote: »

I agree it's very subjective, but i guess thats what the author is alluding too.

I think what they mean is that if you have to ask the question you cannot not fully understand the answer. A question is subjective and so is it's answer.

This question reminds me of a common poker question which is given a common poker answer.

The two best hands in Texas Hold'em are AA and KK. Now when someone bets and you raise with KK and the opponent then reraises it's very often the case that you've run into a premium hand. There's a very slim chance that it's the other KK there's a possibility it's someone over-valuing QQ, JJ or AK and of course there's the possibility that it's AA.

What comes up again and again in beginner poker forums is 'Should I ever fold KK preflop'

and the answer is

'if you're asking this question then - no - you shouldn't fold KK preflop'

The reason this answer is given is that there are indeed occasions where you should fold KK preflop but the fact that you're asking the question is enough proof that your skill level isn't good enough to figure it out.

So the default answer given by experienced players to beginners is - don't fold KK pre flop because the times you will be up against AA will be more than compensated by the times you are up against the other combinations of hands.

Does this make sense?

Bipolar Joe

I think it's a load of crap made to sound mystical / enlightened but is mostly a way to get you to buy stuff so you, too, can say mystical / enlightened crap.

18AD

Buy what exactly? And how does that entitle pseudo-enlightened talk?