This may be a case where getting it wrong twice gets it right.
Intended abstract nugget of wisdom: “If you want to think or act rationally, don’t act like the caricatures on television that do things less effective than the people they are contrasted with. Just do the effective things.”
Simple description of what the meme means: “Being rational does not mean being like Vulcans from Star Trek.” Mistake 1: Vulcans don’t usually act like that which the meme would condemn either. The description doesn’t match the intended message.
Name of meme: “Straw Vulcan [Rationality]” Mistake 2: If you use “Straw X” in approximately the same way as in “Straw Man” then the wording of the meme doesn’t suggest that the Vulcans are irrational—quite the reverse. This remains true no matter which way you split it: “(Straw Vulcan) Rationality” or “Straw (Vulcan Rationality)”.
Both of those suggest that the desired thing (either the Vulcan themselves or their Rationality) has been corrupted by the accused so that it is readily criticised. It means “Don’t be like fake depictions of Vulcans, be like actual rational Vulcans”.
If we assuming Brienne’s positive depiction then Straw Vulcan Rationality is close to perfect terminology to be using, so is the fundamental lesson. It’s that intermediate description that needs to go. Because relying on making two mistakes in order to get it right is a bad habit to get in to!
This may be a case where getting it wrong twice gets it right.
Intended abstract nugget of wisdom: “If you want to think or act rationally, don’t act like the caricatures on television that do things less effective than the people they are contrasted with. Just do the effective things.”
Simple description of what the meme means: “Being rational does not mean being like Vulcans from Star Trek.”
Mistake 1: Vulcans don’t usually act like that which the meme would condemn either. The description doesn’t match the intended message.
Name of meme: “Straw Vulcan [Rationality]”
Mistake 2: If you use “Straw X” in approximately the same way as in “Straw Man” then the wording of the meme doesn’t suggest that the Vulcans are irrational—quite the reverse. This remains true no matter which way you split it: “(Straw Vulcan) Rationality” or “Straw (Vulcan Rationality)”.
Both of those suggest that the desired thing (either the Vulcan themselves or their Rationality) has been corrupted by the accused so that it is readily criticised. It means “Don’t be like fake depictions of Vulcans, be like actual rational Vulcans”.
If we assuming Brienne’s positive depiction then Straw Vulcan Rationality is close to perfect terminology to be using, so is the fundamental lesson. It’s that intermediate description that needs to go. Because relying on making two mistakes in order to get it right is a bad habit to get in to!