The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Proverbs in Persuasion

Proverbs and idioms seem to short-circuit logical pathways in the brain. We can see this in how simply mentioning an idiom or a proverb sometimes results in resolving an argument or is used as evidence in a discussion.

My observation is that some cultures are more susceptible to this than others. Nonetheless, there is a universal human attraction to short popular rhyming sayings.

I think it’s an interesting cognitive bias that is worth exploring and building an awareness of.

My favorite way to show the irrelevance of idioms or proverbs to a discussion is to look for a counter popular saying. I think this proves that idioms or proverbs cannot provide factual value and work only on an emotional level.

Below is a list of my favorite contradicting idioms:

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Opposites attract.
Birds of a feather flock together.
You're never too old to learn.
You can't teach an old dog new tricks.
Don't change horses midstream.
Variety is the spice of life.
No pain, no gain.
Better to be safe than sorry.
Many hands make light work.
Too many chefs in the kitchen.
The early bird gets the worm.
Haste makes waste.
Familiarity breeds contempt.
Home is where the heart is.
Great minds think alike.
Fools seldom differ.
Laugh and the world laughs with you; weep and you weep alone.
Misery loves company.
Actions speak louder than words.
The pen is mightier than the sword.

In conclusion, with some interpretation it’s possible to find a saying with a counter meaning for any proverb or idiom. What this means is that context is key, or if you prefer a short common phrase, the devil is in the details.

Should you take seaweed as an iodine supplement?

TLDR: No.

The long version of the answer is that while seaweed does in fact contain a large amount of iodine, the potential harm of regular consumption outweighs the potential benefit for the following reasons:

  • Most seaweed manufacturers don’t test or don’t indicate the exact iodine content. If iodine is the main reason for consuming seaweed, you should know much you’re actually getting since there’s a wide range for content.
  • Some seaweed is contaminated with radiation. The problem here is again the lack of testing or availability of results. It might be true that some seaweed is free of traceable radiation but given some is not, how would you know which one is the one you’re eating? If the test results are available, they need to be sampled frequently and inclusive to be useful which is very rare.
  • Most seaweed is contaminated with heavy and harmful metals like arsenic (inorganic). The issue with a lot of these metals is that there’s no established safe levels for products like seaweed. This is further complicated by the unavailability or inaccuracy of this data from sellers. Even when the data is available, it is done with a lot sample instead of for every batch and could be done just yearly or less frequently.

In the rest of the article, we will focus on inorganic arsenic to make the case against regular consumption of seaweed but other heavy metals can be considered to add more factors.

Types of Seaweed

The above issues are common to all types of seaweed but there are some differences among the types. Of all types hijiki is known to be the worst for arsenic. In one study of five types of seaweed, only hijiki had high enough content of arsenic for their detection method. [1] Another test by an Australian food agency also found significantly more arsenic in hijiki than other seaweed types. [2]

Other types of seaweed which are considered safer than hijiki are: kombu, wakame, nori, and laver.

The Numbers

According to [6] and [7], adults need 150 mcg (micrograms) of iodine daily. Pregnant or breastfeeding women need 200 mcg or more.

As mentioned above, there’s no safe level defined in the U.S. for arsenic in seaweed but here are some other defined levels for reference:

Drinking water by EPA and WHO: 10 ppb (part per billion). The interesting thing here is that even at this level, there are some studies showing it’s still harmful. [8] Also any test on seaweed will usually have about 100X this amount or more.

Eggs, chicken, and turkey by FDA: 0.5 ppm (parts per million)

See [9] for more on declared safe levels: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/csem.asp?csem=1&po=8

Now for comparison, a heavy metal test by one seaweed producer ranges from 0.4 ppm to 2.28 ppm: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/csem.asp?csem=1&po=8

This is one of the few good sellers that actually tests and publishes results. Who knows what the levels are for companies that don’t even publish these numbers

Alternative Iodine Natural Sources

What can you use if you don’t feel comfortable about seaweed? It turns out there are a lot of other healthy options:

  1. Fish: While fish has its own issues with heavy metals, it turns out the percentages are much lower per weight. See study by Australian Food Authority for a comparison. [3]
  2. Dairy: Good-ole milk has more benefits than you thought. In fact the lack of iodine is one of the major downsides of using milk alternative products according to one report. [4]
  3. Bread: One study in the U.S. found surprisingly high amount iodine in some bread brands. [5]
  4. Eggs: Eggs are another good source of iodine. One egg provides 16% of the daily value.

For more sources of iodine, see [6, 7]:

Another option to consider according to some is Lugol’s iodine formula, nascent, or a supplement in pill form.

This seems to be more for those who have a diagnosed deficiency or if you know your regular food is lacking sufficient amounts of iodine.

Another reason to consider supplementation is high halogen content in your diet or environment. Because halogens are reactively close to iodine they can take its place in various molecules in the body. When this is happening a level of iodine saturation is needed to replace them and detox.

Lugol’s iodine happens to be the most recommended type for supplementation because it has been used for for more than a century gaining trust and lowering cost. You can see more on these options in the following document by Stephanie Buist: https://jeffreydachmd.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/The-Guide-to-Supplementing-with-Iodine-Stephanie-Burst-ND.pdf

Other Foods of Concern

When it comes to inorganic arsenic, it seems that after seaweed and fish, the most significant offenders are rice and fruit juice. Rice seems to be a real issue that the FDA proposed a new standard of 100 ppb for arsenic. For more on rice and fruit juice see the following:

Rice: https://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/Metals/ucm319870.htm

Apple juice: https://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/Metals/ucm280209.htm

Pear juice: https://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/Metals/ucm275452.htm

Conclusion

The bottom line from all this research is that it’s difficult to to know that eating regular seaweed will cause more benefit than harm. It’s safer to get the needed iodine from other natural sources where there’s no risk for heavy metals or radiation.

This conclusion is about daily or regular consumption but occasional consumption like when having sushi once a week or less frequently should be safe.

Lastly, it seems like there are some efforts to standardize heavy metal testing and make that public like the following website but none of this seems recognized or credible yet: http://labs.naturalnews.com/heavy-metals-chart-superfoods-sea-vegetables.html

References

  1. http://www.academia.edu/13528785/Arsenic_in_seaweed_Forms_concentration_and_dietary_exposure
  2. https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/science/surveillance/documents/Survey%20of%20inorganic%20arsenic%20in%20seaweed%20and%20seaweed%20.pdf
  3. http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/_Documents/scienceandtechnical/inorganic_arsenic_seaweed_seafood.pdf
  4. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/dairy-free-milk-iodine-deficiency-alternatives-almond-coconut-oat-health-study-a7965756.html
  5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15240625
  6. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iodine-HealthProfessional/
  7. https://www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts/Iodine.pdf
  8. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120531200820.htm
  9. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/csem.asp?csem=1&po=8

A Wiser Euthyphro Dialogue

I recently completed a Coursera class titled Ancient Philosophy: Plato & His Predecessors from the University of Pennsylvania. It was fun and insightful. The last assignment of the class was to write an essay addressing one of two prompts.

I chose to imagine how Plato’s dialogue, Euthyphro, would have gone if Euthyphro had answered Socrates differently. Below is how the dialogue could possibly have proceeded if Euthyphro might have been a bit wiser.

The original dialogue can be found from the MIT Classics Archive, Plato’s Euthyphro.

Socrates meets Euthyphro at the court and after introductions starts by asking the following question.

Socrates: And what is piety, and what is impiety?
Euthyphro: Piety is that which is done to please God.

Socrates: You have certainly given me heavy words. But I must slowly decipher what you mean as it is by God a lot to carry.
Euthyphro: To be sure, Socrates.

Socrates: Tell me, Euthyphro, intending to please God is the nature of all pious actions.
Euthyphro: Yes, dear friend, not only actions but for all pious things including thoughts and desires.

Socrates: Very good then. Let us examine what we are saying.
Euthyphro: We shall, if you like.

Socrates: Come, then, don’t men regularly intend something and achieve the quite opposite?
Eythyphro: How do you mean, Socrates?

Socrates: You say that intending to please God is piety and ignoring God while acting is impiety. Was not that said?
Euthyphro: To be sure, well said.

Socrates: But what about when a man intends to please God but actually does things that anger God and vice versa?
Euthyphro: If a man acts based on the best of his knowledge and sincerely intends to please God while still doing wrong, he is surely still pious but he has a rank in piety lower than him who intends right and also does right. God is pleased with both though not to the same extent. This is why we need to always hone our intellect and grow our knowledge.

Socrates: Now tell me, how do knowledge and reason serve the pious?
Euthyphro: I will endeavor to explain. A truly pious person will seek to learn what God wants of him so that he can do those things that please God. But he won’t just accept anything he hears about God, he would use his power of intellect to ascertain what is truly from God and what is made up by devious men.

Scorates: Very good, Euthyphro; you have now given me the sort of answer which I wanted. But tell me about a man who has no intention of being pious or intends to be impious but actually does that which pleases God.
Euthyphro: That type of man is not pious and will never be unless he fixes his intention. Actions are but judged by intentions, Socrates.

Socrates: Then, my friend, I remark with surprise how is a man who does evil but intends good more pious than one who does good but lacks intention?
Euythphro: Did we not say that the most important thing in thought, word, or action is the intention? Have you forgotten?
Socrates: I quite remember.
Euthyphro: Then you should know that one who tries his best to do good but accidentally does evil is more preferred in the sight of God than he who cares not about God and does good because we should only be judged by our honest intention.
He who perseveres with a sincere good intention will inevitably learn illuminating knowledge and how to please God and will end up being guided by God for sure. But he one who lacks good intentions can only get more misguided unless he starts to mind his intention.
Do you not agree?
Socrates: Yes, I think that you are quite right.

Socrates: Tell me then, friend, how can I know what would please God and what God would want me to do?
Euthyphro: This is the right question you should ask and this is a question worth spending a lifetime pursuing, Socrates. I can only give you a glimpse of the answer however as you know we both must carry on soon with our charges in court.

Socrates: Yes, please tell me that much which is possible for now.
Euthyphro: You must try to seek all the pure knowledge regarding God and use your reason to weed out that which is not pure. This knowledge may come from within your soul, messengers or prophets, and divine books.

Socrates: Rare friend! You have convinced me I cannot do better than be your disciple and follow your teachings and be as pious as possible. I shall challenge Meletus, and say that I have always had a great interest in religious questions, and now, as he charges me with rash imaginations and innovations in religion, I have become your disciple. I shall say to him if he intends to indict me, he should begin with my teacher first.
Euthyphro: Yes, indeed, Socrates; and if he attempts to indict me I am mistaken if I do not find a flaw in him; the court shall have a great deal more to say to him than to me.

Socrates: Now that I feel quenched, my dear Euthyphro, I shall ask you other important questions which I have asked of many who profess to know something only to find that they were the most ignorant of men. I want to know what are the things you have understood only late in your life which would serve any person to know and understand them.
Euthyphro: Another time, Socrates; for I must go now but if you visit me we shall certainly discuss more.

Socrates: Alas! My dear companion, I shall continue to be your dedicated disciple while I have life and strength.
Euthyphro: Yes, my friend, what should I be good for without teaching what I know?

How to Save Brain Cells

The brain on a regular basis creates new brain cells in a process called neurogenesis. This process peaks at two periods in a human’s life: first 18 months of a child’s life and during adolescence to early twenties. However, new brain cells are born daily to a smaller extent.


Every container gets filled by its content except for knowledge, its container expands with it.

Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a)

Most of the new brain cells disappear in a few weeks unless they make connections with other neurons wiring into a learning network. By wiring with other neurons the new cells become fully functional neurons. Cells that remain in the immature stem stage die out.

Recent research has shown that learning and mentally demanding work increases the survival of new brain cells. The more challenging and intense the issue is the more brain cells that survive.


“The more you use your brain, the more brain you will have to use.”

George A. Dorsey

We can see from this insight that we should strive to be continuously learning. The more we learn the more capable we are of learning. Other things that have been shown to help increase neurogenesis are exercise and meditation.

References:

  • http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/saving-new-brain-cells/
  • http://amazon.com/The-Defining-Decade-Twenties-Matter-And/dp/0446561754
  • Peak of Eloquence by Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a), Scattered Pearls

Monotheism in Classical Greek Poetry

We are all familiar with Greek epic and fictional poetry. But there are also some great pieces of philosophical Greek poetry.
One such fascinating poem is by Xenophanes. Xenophanes, born 570 BC, was a Greek philosopher who believed in one God that is omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful), and omnipresent (present everywhere). In this poem, Xenophanes, points to a problem in anthropomorphism and ascribing attributes based on our subjective expectation. This poem shows that Xenophanes could be one of the earliest monotheists in Western philosophy. As with the rest of Xenophanes’ works only fragments of the poem have survived. It is nonetheless an interesting read. Below are some verses.


Homer and Hesiod have attributed to the gods
everything that is blameworthy and disgraceful among humans
theft and adultery and mutual trickery.

… but humans suppose that gods have been born
and wear clothes like theirs and have voice and body.

But if horses or cows or lions had hands
to draw with their hands and produce works of art as men do,
horses would draw the figures of gods like horses
and cows like cows, and they would make their bodies
just as the form which they each have themselves.

One god, greatest among gods and men,
not at all like mortals in body or mind.

As a whole he sees, as a whole he thinks and as a whole he hears.

And always he stays in the same place, not moving at all,
nor is it fitting for him to travel in different directions at different times..

How to Read a Book

The Importance of Reading

Reading is the most efficient way of learning and transferring elaborate information to the mind. A lot has been written and said on the benefits of reading so I will just refer to a couple examples that highlight reading.

One of the most interesting aspects of the Holy Quran is that, after the Basmala, the first Surah revealed starts with the word read (“إقرأ”).

Imam Ali (as) said “A person who keeps himself occupied with books, will never lose his peace of mind”.

The following is one of my favorite graduation commencement speeches. In this speech, David McCullough tells high school students “And read… read all the time… read as a matter of principle, as a matter of self-respect. Read as a nourishing staple of life”. You can watch the entire speech here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lfxYhtf8o4

“I shall die reading”, said John Donne.

Reading and the Brain

Research has shown that reading is one of the best ways to build cognitive reserve and slow down cognitive decline. Cognitive reserve is the level of immunity of the brain to mental disorders due to aging or other causes. “Read more books, write more, and do activities that keep your brain busy, irrespective of your age” is the advise of a Neurology editorial on how cognitively stimulating activities can keep dementia under control.

Interestingly, not just reading but how you read determines how your brain is affected. In a study, Natalie Phillips, a Stanford researcher, showed that critical reading stimulates different regions of the brain than pleasure reading.
In close attentive reading, there’s a dramatic increase of blood flow to regions in the brain beyond those “executive function” areas which are expected to be activated. Phillips says “it’s not only what we read – but thinking rigorously about it that’s of value”. According to Phillips, reading can help in building up concentration. “Teaching close reading could serve – quite literally – as a kind of cognitive training, teaching us to modulate our concentration”.

In an unusual study, researchers found that reading can build cognitive reserve to fend off the harmful effects of lead exposure on cognitive function. Canadian smelter workers were divided into two groups, a group of avid readers and a group of workers with low scores on reading tests. Even though both groups had identical levels of lead in their blood, the “effects of lead were 2.5 times greater in workers with low reading ability”.

Is Reading Anything Good?

To balance out the previous section, I have to say that your mind is not being elevated every time you read something nor is your knowledge growing. Reading without any reflection yields no benefit, “Much reading is like much eating, wholly useless without digestion”, said Robert South. In fact there are many things that are at best a waste of time to read. Your mind and soul should be protected by only reading quality content the same way you should only eat clean and healthy food.

How do you know your mind is elevated by what you’re reading? If you can read several pages without having to stop to think or without any struggle then you probably don’t need to read that writing. You should read things that are a little above your mind so that it pulls you up to a higher level of understanding.

There is substantial research now that shows that reading something has a physical effect on the brain and can literally rewire your neurons. This should be a reason for everyone to watch what he/she is reading.

Levels of Reading

One of the biggest mistakes people make when reading is that they treat all types of materials the same in how they read them. Francis Bacon says “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.”

Mortimer Adler divides reading into four levels: Elementary, Superficial, Analytical, and Syntopical reading.

Elementary Reading

If you can read this article, then you already know the elementary level of reading. I will not go further into it than saying elementary reading is the reading level that is usually taught in primary schools.

Superficial Reading

Superficial reading typically has a negative connotation but that’s not what we mean here. Superficial reading is actually very useful and sometimes essential. Superficial reading is the practice of carefully skimming content to get the gist. Superficial reading or skimming in this context is useful when you want to decide whether you should read something or not. It’s also useful and should be used when there’s a time limit on when you need to go through a piece of content. In superficial reading you should at least read the table of contents, headings, and conclusion of what you’re reading. You should try your best to understand the theme of each part or chapter of what you’re reading.

Syntopical Reading

Syntopical reading is reading for research purposes. You read syntopically when you have a specific subject that you need to read multiple sources on. This involves coming up with specific questions on your subject of interest and trying to gather answers to those questions from multiple sources.

Analytical Reading

Analytical reading is the level I want to focus on in this post. In analytical reading, you must be an active reader. Analytical reading is reading for understanding not just learning. Analytical reading involves the following:

  • Having a goal for reading. What questions are you trying to find answers to?
  • Figuring out the type of book and what it is about. Is it fiction or non-fiction? If non-fiction, is it theoretical or practical?
  • Understanding the author’s purpose for writing. What problems did the author set out to solve?
  • Understanding the core concepts of the book and seeing how they connect to other ideas.
  • Evaluating the book after reading.
  • Read Actively

    The most important element in analytical reading is to be a demanding reader. A demanding reader asks questions and thus gets answers. A non-demanding reader asks no questions and therefore achieves nothing from the book. As you go through pages there should be a problem that you want to solve or a question bothering you that you are looking for an answer to. An active reader reads with a goal in mind.

    Word vs. Term

    To read analytically, we need to differentiate terms from words. A word is a single element of speech that can have multiple meanings. A term is an important word matched with a single specific meaning. A term has a specific context. There is no ambiguity about what a term means once you fix the context.

    In order to understand a book, you must “come to terms” with the author. You need to make sure you and the author are using the same terms. A good author will not switch the meaning of terms without alerting the reader. Flip-flopping of terms is a sign of an ineptly written book. The important terms in a book will usually be recurring. Some authors will take time to define their terms. This is a hint to the reader that the author cares about those words. In some cases terms will be distinguished using font style variations.

    Systems of Information

    Information in a well written book is not a list of distinct facts but a group of related ideas that extend from the core concepts of the book. Being a demanding reader entails that we understand the core concepts of the book and see how other ideas relate to them. In a system of information, core ideas form the skeleton which other related ideas depend on. The next step is to connect ideas from one system to another book or topic.

    To understand the core ideas, we must understand the author’s main arguments. To find the main arguments in a book, we must find the important sentences. Important sentences in a book usually contain the notable terms. Knowing the problems the author set out to solve by writing the book leads us to the author’s main arguments. You can gain a lot of insight into the purpose of the author from the preface and introduction of a book. Some authors will hint towards the main arguments by using a differentiating style or font.

    Questions Readers Should Answer

    Adler lists four questions which are the minimum a reader should be able to answer about any book read. Use these question to test your understanding of books you read. To be more serious about answering these questions, one should write the answers down. Adler recommends making the book truly yours by writing notes in it.

    1. What is the book about as a whole?
      Find the leading theme of the book and how does the author develop this theme in an orderly way by subdividing it into parts or topics.
    2. What is being said in detail, and how?
      You must try to discover the main ideas, assertions, and arguments that constitute the author’s particular message.
    3. Is the book true, in whole or part?
      When you understand a book, you are obligated, if you are reading seriously, to make up your own mind. Knowing the author’s mind is not enough.
    4. What of it?
      If the book has given you information, you must ask about its significance. Why does the author think it’s important to know these things? Is it important for you to know them? What else follows? What is further implied or suggested?

    Conclusion

    Reading is essential to having a mature mind. In 1940, Mortimer Adler wrote the first edition of his how-to on reading due to the deficiency he observed in students. This article focuses on the third level of reading using Adler’s ordering. Not every book deserves an analytical reading. If the book doesn’t deserve an analytical reading, you should question whether you need to read it. Reading for understanding requires that we read actively. Reading actively means that we ask questions and answer them in the course of reading. Knowing the problems the author set out to solve leads us to find the main arguments in a book. The best way a reader can pay respect to an author is by understanding the author’s book then fairly providing judgement on the author’s arguments and solutions.

    References