Jackson, those who really know, know that they don't know and are humble about it. This is you to a tee. The best Professors are like this. Translation is always an art not a science, so there can be many interpretations of a text. The point is to give other people the opportunity to explore for themselves. This is what you do. You are the 'Patreon Professor of Old Norse Language and Literature'. No question in my mind. And deservedly so.
I *really* appreciate how much you talk about what we know, what we don’t know (and sometimes can’t know), and what we can meaningfully speculate on. I trust what you say much more because of it.
I'm an Icelandic who speaks Norwegian fluently. Having read a lot of Old Norse texts and done my own interpretations I find your translations and understanding spot on though I will (with you as with other scholars) at some stage murmur "well... I see this can be interpreted in two or even three different ways" or "It's connotation earlier has everything to do with that particular phrasing" etc... It's like you said, it's a constant quest for learning and I'm learning a ton from your channel. Thank you for sharing your data and knowledge!
This rant resonated with me so much, and this happens a lot in my field of work. But my last experience with this (not work related) was a lady came up to me and rather abruptly and very adamantly told me I was holding my crochet hook incorrectly while I was crocheting. I asked her why she thought it was wrong, and how she held her hook when she crocheted, to which she replied, “oh no I don’t crochet, I saw it on tv once.” I have to admit being stunned into silence.
@@stardust86x It is a shame when mis-information is put to us. But I've hit that point in my life (and I genuinely think getting older does make it easier) where I just let people go on if they are set on it. I'm always up for a thoughtful, open minded discussion, but I make it a habbit to never argue the point with a fool.
I'm only mildly interested in Old Norse, but I greatly appreciate your integrity as a scholar. Rant on! I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts about thinking. Thanks!
I enjoy the Ranch Porch series with all the misc thoughts and topics. I'm glad we still get to visit here every so often. Critical thinking, people, you've got to practice it all the damn time! Final thought - some people just cannot handle anything they perceive as challenging their world view
This is so true of any field of research and emerging material. After 40 years in my field as a lecturer I will research multiple and often contradictory sources and choose a best path. Have had such discussions myself and unfortunately many will take a source for granted rather than do the same research themselves to test the information. Keep it up you have a large number here who are open to change if it should be necessary but highly respect your knowledge and ability to bring it to life.
Always a fan of the Ranch Porch series! I feel like people miss the point of your content in that they think you're telling people what think or preaching. You've made it clear, and that's why many of us love your channel, that you're being objective and basically an encyclopedia type. At any rate, keep doing what you're doing Jackson! We wish you all the best!
I really appreciate your approach in these videos. Some people just rub me the wrong way, coming off as arrogant and trying to sound smart on matters of the Old Norse. You are just knowledgeable and obviously highly intelligent and you don't have to try to come off that way or present your information in some kind of flashy way, that to me, just isn't necessary. The real deal does not need to put on a glamour show for others the content speaks for itself. Beautiful things don't need to ask for attention and that's what you are in character and in your content. Nowadays I think most people confuse arrogance with confidence. Confidence is not offensive, it doesn't step on toes, or attempt to outshine others, it just is what it is. You are kind of the embodiment of that.
I appreciate that you admit what you definitely know, possibly know, or don't know. It is a demonstration of integrity. It seems most people prefer wild speculation to the truth. The world would be a much better place if we all demonstrated more integrity and humility.
I can really relate to what you said. As a teacher in adult education I've also come across people with this kind of bad attitude. That's why I always tell my students to make up their own mind instead of blindly accepting facts if these are disputable and maybe ask for a second or even third oppinion before drawing their own conclusion(s).
@@jordanrudderham7981 I'm aware of that and thus I always show them on individually picked examples how to do the necessary research and where to look. The examples depend on how old the student is and what subject(s) I teach that person and it's got to in a field the person is personally interested in. Otherwise the lesson is soon forgotten.
When I listen to you, I do not hear it as one who lacks confidence, but as one who tries to share information and knowledge as carefully as you can. I do appreciate it when you let us know there is information that is not clear or "decided". I also appreciate it when you explain the options of what the data could mean.
Being able to tell when someone doesn’t add up reality, and someone who can admit to the limitations of their knowledge, those are key to understanding what is.
It's easy to be confident when you don't have to check and synthesize any sources that might disagree with you. It's even easier if you don't know enough to even be aware those contrary sources exist.
Great video, Dr. Crawford. It reminded me of my professors in Greek and Hebrew (PhDs in their fields) who spoke of uncertainty and ambiguity in translating the Bible. Many people want absolute certainty in that particular area, and nothing opens someone up to accusations of being an idiot, or not knowing the subject like really engaging with various texts and saying that there are questions, variations, and differing valid views of translation. And sometimes, even highly qualified scholars may make a mistake or poor choice with complex texts. That doesn't undo their PhDs, or make the person pointing out the mistake a greater authority.
Really well put, Jackson. It is so important to communicate what constitutes a scientific mindset in ways that are simple to understand. Keep going making Norse language and literature accessible without compromising the integrity of the sources.
I know you don't read comments, but I'll leave one anyway. I just started watching your videos and the biggest surprise is how much apparent contention around Old Norse. When I think of a Philologist, I imagine old men at Oxford arguing over minutia in a library. I would never have imagined that there are people who would attack you over Norse translation. I guess there are Trolls for everything, but Old Norse? Wow.
Thanks for sharing Jackson, a lot of good stuff in here, especially important for anyone participating in public-facing scholarship. "Getting things wrong in the right spirit" put a smile on my face.
I completely agree about being wrong in the right ways--wish I could convince myself of it more sometimes though. You've got a great channel. Been digging into a lot of your great PIE interviews over the last few days. Keep up the great work
It's the difference between manipulating others to have/gain/ or remain in power over them or feel yourself save and empowering the other. Therefore, In my book, you are a Guru in the truest sens of the word, a teacher, wo shares his knowledge without ego/Agenda thank You
Jackson, you tslk about making a poor career choice, and that may be so.... BUT, I for one am grateful that you did. Your expertise is both needed and appreciated. Thank you!
"Beware you who stand on solid ground, lest you fall". Better always to say "you may be right". Thanks for the rant, couldn't agree with your premise more.
Really great video, as always. Just never take anybody's critical comment as anything else but as that person's way to deal with his or hers own problems by trying to overshadow you...
Thank you for the advice Jackson,. I always enjoy your videos and Old Norse expertise. Curious, if you have contact information, I'd like to speak about Roanoke if you've heard of it, the lost villagers who landed there, and three distinct markings which were left behind, carved in a tree. I don't want to share too much in public and reduce the value of the information discussed.
this has nothing to do with the video or if anyone will see this. I have been watching this channel for years and use to be patrion supporter but unfortanily i just can't afford to do so anymore. I just want to say that jackson crawford has not only inspired me to want to have be an expert/phd in some similar career. But he has also just helped me through some very hard times and just learning norse language, history and mythology. I really appreciate how he put the info out there for free and I have all but his newest book. (hopefully soon i'll be able to) so I thank you for everything you do! and put up with! this is a very unorganized thought but i did wanna try n comment how much just being distracted from life to learn from a true scholar has helped me!
Jackson, I have a question if you have the time. Would a layperson, not interested in a degree, be better starting off with Icelandic and then learning Old Norse? If I decide to put in the effort it seems like a 2-for-1 to learn Icelandic and be able to converse with Icelanders and also to be able to read the sagas in the original language. Any thoughts?
keep up the GOOD work. we ALL are human. That means we make mistakes. I have made a LOT. But if we do SOMETHING mistakes will be made, not that we want them, but that we are human.
Do not be knocked off center by the magical thinkers that do not like what you have to say because it totally destroys the made up junk in their heads. Ive learned more from you than those self proclaimed “ channelers” and “ Seidrs” that are just making stuff up. Those folks are entertaining. YOU,sir, are an educator.
It's the false dilemma fallacy. Just because you're wrong doesn't mean the other person is automatically right. There are more than just the two options.
Yeah I think being that one of the main points of poetry is riddles, makes it likely that most people will get something 'wrong' aka, doesn't transmit the meaning that the writer intended. But if we all just put our best efforts in we can inspire each other to unveil more and more of these riddles. Usually if a group of people comes up with ideas, all of the right ideas may surface, mixed in with what does not carry the original meaning. And then it's up to individuals to filter out what they think are the right ideas. In the end, as long as people are happy with their understanding of the topic, if it makes sense to them as a whole, I think the goal is achieved. And everyone will differ on what they think makes sense, but, I do think as we get closer to the truth, there will be a lot less variation in those opinions.
completely, totally, utterly understand & agree - my last 'relationship' was filled with this for years - where he would constantly equate 'you're wrong' with 'I'm right' (- including this very point (endless circle of frustration, trying to explain the two do not equate). I am more than willing to admit when I am wrong - and if appropriate apologize (sincerely & full) & make amends. we're human, we make mistakes. and esp in any intellectual field, including science, we are constantly learning new information, what is 'right' one day may need to be amended, rethought, reevaluated in light of new data the next. also very much enjoyed the tweet - (think not on the dread god Retal, lest he find purchase back into this world, all hail & blessings to the mighty wizard Dejiwin - she saved us all)
Thanks for doing what you do, because no one else does what you do the way you do it. The dark side of the webbernet is the licence some people feel it gives them to be rude, illogical, and idiotic. And we certainly live in a time when the True/False binary doesn't seem to allow for grey areas. Being that people are by and large no longer taught to think for themselves, such antagonism is celebrated. (After all, that's what the lamestream media do, innit.) For my part, I've been an (amateur) student of ON literature and language my whole life, and I have no qualms in saying that I'm truly grateful for your work in general, from your books, and from what I've learned from you personally on the subject. You've connected many seemingly unrelated dots for me on this topic, and about linguistics in general, which has also been a passion of mine. Please keep up the great work. Cheers!
Don't sweat the small stuff... minds. People cry over the most ridiculous things, you're doing fine, keep up the honest work. (you obviously have fun with it)
I’m from the generation that watched a test pattern on the TV before the Saturday cartoons came on. You could read a cereal box to me and I would enjoy it! I think there’s enough variety in your material to please any learner. There’s the history angle, the linguistic angle, the religious angle, the mystery angle, the art angle, and so much more. With so many different opinions, there’s bound to be conflict but I think you handle that well too! My own thoughts are that Christianity has decimated many cultures and belief systems. We are so lucky to have the fragments that remain. The next time you feel like beating up on yourself for choosing the path of Old Norse, I want you to remember the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan. Now, THAT was a sad day! Or maybe think about the sphinx in Egypt, because that was a sad day too. As a retired teacher I would meet with folks who told me I was wrong all the time and I would always reply, “you could be right about that!”😂 Each evening before I close my eyes I choose one of your postings and listen to a story about the past. It’s very healing! Best to you Dr. Jackson Crawford, Thoughtthingy
Pedanticism... one of my least liked of the Humanities. I feel your pain on that one. As for projecting confidence... one of my favourite sayings... "The sublime confidence of the truly ignorant."
I am very on board with your rejection of ivory tower hidebound conventionalism and inset schools of thought that are resistant to new ideas. Some of the most challenging and interesting ideas for me are the ones that challenge orthodoxy. The works of Farley Mowat (Westviking and The Farfarers) are a fascinating example. They are roundly dismissed by the orthodoxy, but contain some interesting insights. More recently I’ve become interested in the linguistic theories of Myron Payne. He theorizes that some Native American words come from Old Norse. I’d be interested to hear what this community thinks of Dr. Payne’s theories. He puts them forward in his “Frozen Trail to Merica” series of books. Without any particular linguistic expertise or knowledge of Old Norse, his ideas fascinate me, but i haven’t heard a scholarly examination of them. Thanks for standing up for free thought and against closedmindedness! Skål!
"A person who doesn't make mistakes rarely makes anything of value." Of course, it's easier to say that when you don't live in a society that while saying it celebrates mistakes actually grinds you to dust and makes you feel worthless and destroys your life for making them. What it sounds like you're describing is the Dunning-Kruger effect; the less you know about a subject, the more confident in the subject you are (unless you know nothing at all), while the more you know about a subject, the less confidence you have - it's a matter of knowing what you don't know. Being subscribed to a large number of different channels across many different topics, I can tell you this problem also exists in fields as far afield as quantum physics and U.S. history. There's a general suspicion of authority and expertise that is really going to make things, uh, interesting over the next few decades.
Don't worry, you will always find people who want to point out any mistake and make a huge deal out of it. PD: I'm really insterested on your theory of the origin of Baldr's death and hope to hear it in detail.
The gods were made by us, not the other way around. That doesn't mean they aren't powerful -- they are stories, and stories are powerful -- but it does mean that human beings make them up, and manipulate them to suit their human purposes. The old gods of Northern Europe in particular have attracted a host of charlatans claiming to speak for them. Thank you, Jackson, for giving us so many excellent tools for learning about these old gods without claiming to speak for them.
This kind of critical attitude apparently isn't for everyone. As a pretty ignorant layman who never went to college I look up to people like you who are really sincere about the limit of knowing and are capable of exercising doubt when it's called for, so I try to mimick what they do as much as my capacity can allow for. So when people tell me some pretty baseless claim I try to show how baseless it seems to me (not necessarily wrong, because a totally baseless claim can be correct even if by pure luck), hoping to better _our_ understanding of the subject, but what often happens is they assume I'm saying they're _wrong_ and that I'm right, when all I'm doing is trying to lay bare why they got the conclusion (more like impression) that they did. At that point we would have to go back to the fundamentals of conversation away from the very subject we were talking about or just stop talking, and that irritates people because they weren't able to share the view that they got from someone or some people they trust, and they feel like they got offended, when it's really them who often make _ad hominem_ attacks. I guess that's life tho
Thanks for keeping studying of Old Norse interesting. Now; the basis is the old popperian expression "You may be right, and I may be wrong, let us talk together" is a good academic position. Now - you try to keep it "clean from agendas" is worthy and keeps me watching this channel. Ad fontes - look at the sources rules. Keep it up, worries will always come that it is not perfect,.... well keep it interesting and learn and be humble for the mistakes will always be. Dont worry or be to wise,... Didn´t Odin say something like that?
@@stardust86x Ha ha, wasnt my intention. Academics are meant to talk, not sing,.... keep an open mind, there is only one history but thousends of possibilities and we dont know which one is correct
It took me quite a long time to discover what you point out here. As in.... person A is not a good person - person B opposes person A - so therefore person B must be good. Ahhhh, no. Person B may also not be a good person. Two people can disagree and both be objectively wrong. Wish I understood this 50 years ago.
This just in: Old Norse guru dislikes some of the husbands in his family! But seriously: thanks for your intellectual honestly, your expertise, and for making these highly informative videos.
People are often just a$$holes. I hated when I would teach and someone would ask an obscure gotcha question just to try to show me up. Some people just want to prove that they are smarter than the teacher.
Can any translation from one language to another be 100% correct? Can there be a "most" correct translation? I don't think there can. One of the hallmarks of people that don't understand a subject, is not understanding where the frontier of their ignorance on the subject is. So just by understanding that, you are leaps ahead of those people.
I’m a scientist so…I will say not only do people NOT do well with uncertainty, but they also don’t really understand confidence intervals. While a CI is something fairly specific in statistics, I think the idea of it is applicable to other general domains (to describe the phenomenon I think you’re talking about). You can be “wrong” in the minds of some personality types, but the reality is you’re likely still in the ballpark. Some people don’t even know what ballpark they’re in.
Don't worry about it. Even back when people were arguing with eachother in their publications, they would talk past eachother and so forth. When that happens I usually just go, we won't ever understand eachother, lets end the talk, it's a waste of energy. Unfortunately what often happens in the midst of this people start being condescending and you have to defend your honor. But blocking is very effective. And yeah, it turns out humans are not infallible by the least and people will point out what they think are mistakes to contribute to the community having the best understanding of a topic at hand. And lets say some people are more tactful or more respectful about the way they point that out.
I think two things are at play. 1) People don't know what the hell 'constructive criticism ' is. That is when you point out, with evidence to back up your argument that a mistake has been made and a path to help that person correct it. This is in opposition to the "You're wrong, I'm right" and then flipping the table in a huff. 2) The nature of the internet and human nature of loving to see a fall. Nothing pleases a few more than watching someone who excels at something screw up and being able to rub their faces in it. These ancient languages are complex and, in some cases, not standardized. I recall reading in junior high reading William Blake's poem "The Tyger" for the first time and learning what poetic license meant by him rhyming eye and symmetry. If you did not know this, you would not rhyme it when reading. It is incorrect, but it is correct due to that poetic license. I'm fairly sure these ancient folk did not carry round a bunch of standing-stone dictionaries with them anyway. 😂 Mistakes happen. Yes, they need corrected, but it should be a way to help learn and not be used as a cudgel to break someone. If you make a mistake, then own up, learn from it, and do better. That is all we should expect, and we should respect that. Thank you, Dr. Jackson. You make learning interesting and enjoyable. That my friend is worth its weight in gold.
Can we all have a petition to have Jackson rename the series to 'Rant Porch' for future videos? (I apologize for missing punctuation, but it has never been my strongest skill)
We need more retired professors giving lectures online. They can 'give back', make a few bucks, help educate those who don't have the time or money to go to school themselves. And they can stay busy with something they feel good about.
It makes me sad how often you talk badly about your decision to do a PhD studying old Norse, for one it's led to these wonderful video which I really love and have got me a lot more interested in old Norse, but also because I would like to do a PhD in history, and hearing you, having done one, saying it was the wrong decision, makes me question whether I should (though I'm not sure exactly why you aren't happy with you're decision)
@JacksonDunnoKnows He worked on AC valhalla, Frozen 2, and I'm sure many more titles, he usually does videos about his work on these titles. But I'm sure it's irritating when you have people who watched the Vikings TV show, and believe that to be the true Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok, approaching you with purely nonsensical questions; when they haven't read your translation of the actual Saga.
people like to be armchair investigators. they want a reward for their investigation. So they either want to be right or point to somebody else that is right. I see this all the time around trials. True crime enthusiasts build a theory of the case, based on unimportant and biased information, that does not hold up in court. When the bombshell evidence, that they believe will prove guilt, gets presented it often suggests the exact opposite is likely. Its interesting to see how these people act throughout the course of a trial. When things aren't going the way they romanced they come up with all kind of theories such as prosecution purposely throwing the case, or judge is payed off or some other dirty deals. They would rather accept the absurd than the idea they could have been wrong.
I came here with this question also and I’m still uncertain. I know Mathias Nordvig also did a video similar to Rune’s. I suspect he must have received a lot of feedback regarding his interpreting the evidence for magic rune use. Perhaps this response is more generally pointed that direction than any one rebuttal? Hard to say. I would love to see Rune and Jackson (and Mathias!) discuss this.
@@omnizac I would love to see podcast style discussion video between these three, but I doubt that would ever happen as dr Crawford is oddly avoiding the question and instead resorts to name calling and strawman arguments in this video
I hope not. Dr. Rasmussen showed nothing but total respect for Dr. Crawford in his differing in opinion as to whether single Runes were used as symbols as well as letters or not. He also has never (to my knowledge) ever claimed in his videos that some God gave him any knowledge to pass on...as far as I've seen Dr. Rasmussen finds his examples from the available historic sources (he gave several examples for his assertions that Runes have historically been used both as letters AND as symbols individually in his video on this) rather than relying on some unverified personal gnosis. Dr. Rasmussen doesn't seem to have any interest in being a 'guru' at all and is the first to point out his desire to push his own biases (getting Nordic Animism respected as much as any other Indigenous religious study) from within the scope of his scholarly lane as much as any other scholar.
My youngest sister thinks Jackson Crawford is a hunk. She's a little older than him, and just a year older than my first child. So I think he's a nice looking young man. Mostly I respect his careful thoughtfulness in the subject matter he discusses. I don't have any knowledge base to assess whether he's right or wrong about his area of expertise, but I've found it unhelpful to read the comments on his videos, unless they humbly suggest possibilities or offer interesting supplemental information. But my little sister just thinks he's eye candy.
It's a logical fallacy, but not many people are exposed to formal logic and critical thinking. People tend to think emotionally and entertain a wide variety of fallacies.
Dude, I agree with everything you say. But you can be more succinct by naming fallacies from formal logic. You mentioned two: appeal to ignorance (argumentum ad ignoratio), and appeal to authority.
I'm sure it isn't necessarily easy no navigate the waters of you coming at the subject as a scholar and a large portion of your community coming from a spiritual place. If you say anything that goes against ones religious beliefs they will get take it as a spiritual attack on them. immediately wanting to discredit you. Even if you are just speaking objectively some will feel attacked. keep it up love our insight
Phrased a little more succintly as a tweet: twitter.com/Norsebysw/status/1621286905970302976
🙃🙂
A logical fallacy that is often missed from the fallacy meme charts is the fallacy fallacy: you made a mistake therefore my argument is valid.
Jackson, those who really know, know that they don't know and are humble about it. This is you to a tee. The best Professors are like this. Translation is always an art not a science, so there can be many interpretations of a text. The point is to give other people the opportunity to explore for themselves. This is what you do. You are the 'Patreon Professor of Old Norse Language and Literature'. No question in my mind. And deservedly so.
Goeie achternaam.
This reminds me of a saying I heard fairly long ago: "If you don't even know that you don't know, you have a problem that you can't be aware of."
Your rants are probably the most polite rants anywhere on the internet.
It is better to be roughly right than precisely wrong, is one of my favourite sayings.
I am absolutely sure it doesn't get said enough, but your agenda-less videos and expertise are exactly why I watch and love your channel.
No one is without agenda. His just happens to be the widening of knowledge.
His agenda is to teach folx about Norse language and myth- And its a fine agenda.
His agenda is to sell his books
I *really* appreciate how much you talk about what we know, what we don’t know (and sometimes can’t know), and what we can meaningfully speculate on. I trust what you say much more because of it.
I'm an Icelandic who speaks Norwegian fluently. Having read a lot of Old Norse texts and done my own interpretations I find your translations and understanding spot on though I will (with you as with other scholars) at some stage murmur "well... I see this can be interpreted in two or even three different ways" or "It's connotation earlier has everything to do with that particular phrasing" etc... It's like you said, it's a constant quest for learning and I'm learning a ton from your channel. Thank you for sharing your data and knowledge!
The less someone knows about something, the more confident they are about the knowledge they think they have. Greetings and love from Greece.
This rant resonated with me so much, and this happens a lot in my field of work. But my last experience with this (not work related) was a lady came up to me and rather abruptly and very adamantly told me I was holding my crochet hook incorrectly while I was crocheting. I asked her why she thought it was wrong, and how she held her hook when she crocheted, to which she replied, “oh no I don’t crochet, I saw it on tv once.” I have to admit being stunned into silence.
It *is* pretty bizarre how a lot of people draw conclusions/criticisms based on minimal (or no) experience.
My jaw dropped reading that. ha ha
@@Vistresian1941 It really is quite baffling.
@@kellimbt LOL, pretty sure my jaw was dropped for ages afterwards.
@@stardust86x It is a shame when mis-information is put to us. But I've hit that point in my life (and I genuinely think getting older does make it easier) where I just let people go on if they are set on it. I'm always up for a thoughtful, open minded discussion, but I make it a habbit to never argue the point with a fool.
This has to be the most measured, thoughtful, chilled and reasonable rant the world has ever seen. Excellent.
YES! RANCH PORCH IS BACK BABY!!
Heck yeah!!
It's the Rant-ch Porch Series!
I'm only mildly interested in Old Norse, but I greatly appreciate your integrity as a scholar. Rant on! I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts about thinking. Thanks!
I enjoy the Ranch Porch series with all the misc thoughts and topics. I'm glad we still get to visit here every so often.
Critical thinking, people, you've got to practice it all the damn time!
Final thought - some people just cannot handle anything they perceive as challenging their world view
This is so true of any field of research and emerging material. After 40 years in my field as a lecturer I will research multiple and often contradictory sources and choose a best path. Have had such discussions myself and unfortunately many will take a source for granted rather than do the same research themselves to test the information. Keep it up you have a large number here who are open to change if it should be necessary but highly respect your knowledge and ability to bring it to life.
Always a fan of the Ranch Porch series! I feel like people miss the point of your content in that they think you're telling people what think or preaching. You've made it clear, and that's why many of us love your channel, that you're being objective and basically an encyclopedia type. At any rate, keep doing what you're doing Jackson! We wish you all the best!
I really appreciate your approach in these videos. Some people just rub me the wrong way, coming off as arrogant and trying to sound smart on matters of the Old Norse. You are just knowledgeable and obviously highly intelligent and you don't have to try to come off that way or present your information in some kind of flashy way, that to me, just isn't necessary. The real deal does not need to put on a glamour show for others the content speaks for itself. Beautiful things don't need to ask for attention and that's what you are in character and in your content. Nowadays I think most people confuse arrogance with confidence. Confidence is not offensive, it doesn't step on toes, or attempt to outshine others, it just is what it is. You are kind of the embodiment of that.
"Clinical confidence" - Love it! xd That's staying in my vocabulary from now on.
I appreciate that you admit what you definitely know, possibly know, or don't know. It is a demonstration of integrity. It seems most people prefer wild speculation to the truth. The world would be a much better place if we all demonstrated more integrity and humility.
I can really relate to what you said. As a teacher in adult education I've also come across people with this kind of bad attitude. That's why I always tell my students to make up their own mind instead of blindly accepting facts if these are disputable and maybe ask for a second or even third oppinion before drawing their own conclusion(s).
As a young person, being told this is so critically important to personal development in knowledge and education. Keep up the good work!
@@imachikenlol6820 Thank you very much. I surely will.
@@jordanrudderham7981 I'm aware of that and thus I always show them on individually picked examples how to do the necessary research and where to look. The examples depend on how old the student is and what subject(s) I teach that person and it's got to in a field the person is personally interested in. Otherwise the lesson is soon forgotten.
When I listen to you, I do not hear it as one who lacks confidence, but as one who tries to share information and knowledge as carefully as you can. I do appreciate it when you let us know there is information that is not clear or "decided". I also appreciate it when you explain the options of what the data could mean.
Being able to tell when someone doesn’t add up reality, and someone who can admit to the limitations of their knowledge, those are key to understanding what is.
It's easy to be confident when you don't have to check and synthesize any sources that might disagree with you. It's even easier if you don't know enough to even be aware those contrary sources exist.
Great video, Dr. Crawford. It reminded me of my professors in Greek and Hebrew (PhDs in their fields) who spoke of uncertainty and ambiguity in translating the Bible. Many people want absolute certainty in that particular area, and nothing opens someone up to accusations of being an idiot, or not knowing the subject like really engaging with various texts and saying that there are questions, variations, and differing valid views of translation. And sometimes, even highly qualified scholars may make a mistake or poor choice with complex texts. That doesn't undo their PhDs, or make the person pointing out the mistake a greater authority.
Thank you for talking about what we can't know and why we can't know it.
Really well put, Jackson. It is so important to communicate what constitutes a scientific mindset in ways that are simple to understand. Keep going making Norse language and literature accessible without compromising the integrity of the sources.
I have nothing but respect for you, Jackson! Thanks for your insights!
I know you don't read comments, but I'll leave one anyway. I just started watching your videos and the biggest surprise is how much apparent contention around Old Norse. When I think of a Philologist, I imagine old men at Oxford arguing over minutia in a library. I would never have imagined that there are people who would attack you over Norse translation. I guess there are Trolls for everything, but Old Norse? Wow.
Thanks for sharing Jackson, a lot of good stuff in here, especially important for anyone participating in public-facing scholarship. "Getting things wrong in the right spirit" put a smile on my face.
I completely agree about being wrong in the right ways--wish I could convince myself of it more sometimes though. You've got a great channel. Been digging into a lot of your great PIE interviews over the last few days. Keep up the great work
Good to hear from you, see you in the beautiful outdoors. Way too many critics, way too few humble and very knowledgeable academics.
It's the difference between manipulating others to have/gain/ or remain in power over them or feel yourself save and empowering the other. Therefore, In my book, you are a Guru in the truest sens of the word, a teacher, wo shares his knowledge without ego/Agenda thank You
Jackson, you tslk about making a poor career choice, and that may be so.... BUT, I for one am grateful that you did. Your expertise is both needed and appreciated. Thank you!
Me being wrong doesn't mean you are right. Who's to say we couldn't both be wrong?
"Beware you who stand on solid ground, lest you fall". Better always to say "you may be right". Thanks for the rant, couldn't agree with your premise more.
I love the ranch porch series. I will always click these.
Really great video, as always. Just never take anybody's critical comment as anything else but as that person's way to deal with his or hers own problems by trying to overshadow you...
This is an important point, "you're wrong therefore I'm right" is a very common error.
Thanks for the video. Enjoyed listening to you :)
Thank you for the advice Jackson,. I always enjoy your videos and Old Norse expertise. Curious, if you have contact information, I'd like to speak about Roanoke if you've heard of it, the lost villagers who landed there, and three distinct markings which were left behind, carved in a tree. I don't want to share too much in public and reduce the value of the information discussed.
I think this is actually a critically important topic. l, personally, would love to see a more structured take 2 on this.
Another excellent chat.
Unrelated to the video more or less, but thank you for everything you do professor.
this has nothing to do with the video or if anyone will see this. I have been watching this channel for years and use to be patrion supporter but unfortanily i just can't afford to do so anymore. I just want to say that jackson crawford has not only inspired me to want to have be an expert/phd in some similar career. But he has also just helped me through some very hard times and just learning norse language, history and mythology. I really appreciate how he put the info out there for free and I have all but his newest book. (hopefully soon i'll be able to) so I thank you for everything you do! and put up with! this is a very unorganized thought but i did wanna try n comment how much just being distracted from life to learn from a true scholar has helped me!
Jackson, I have a question if you have the time. Would a layperson, not interested in a degree, be better starting off with Icelandic and then learning Old Norse? If I decide to put in the effort it seems like a 2-for-1 to learn Icelandic and be able to converse with Icelanders and also to be able to read the sagas in the original language.
Any thoughts?
keep up the GOOD work. we ALL are human. That means we make mistakes. I have made a LOT. But if we do SOMETHING mistakes will be made, not that we want them, but that we are human.
I appreciate you and what you teach us very much!!
Do not be knocked off center by the magical thinkers that do not like what you have to say because it totally destroys the made up junk in their heads. Ive learned more from you than those self proclaimed “ channelers” and “ Seidrs” that are just making stuff up. Those folks are entertaining. YOU,sir, are an educator.
It's the false dilemma fallacy. Just because you're wrong doesn't mean the other person is automatically right. There are more than just the two options.
Sometimes two people can be right about a topic. The miscommunication comes when the parties don’t clarify the parts of the topic they’re discussing.
I love the Ranch Porch Series!!
Yeah I think being that one of the main points of poetry is riddles, makes it likely that most people will get something 'wrong' aka, doesn't transmit the meaning that the writer intended.
But if we all just put our best efforts in we can inspire each other to unveil more and more of these riddles.
Usually if a group of people comes up with ideas, all of the right ideas may surface, mixed in with what does not carry the original meaning. And then it's up to individuals to filter out what they think are the right ideas. In the end, as long as people are happy with their understanding of the topic, if it makes sense to them as a whole, I think the goal is achieved. And everyone will differ on what they think makes sense, but, I do think as we get closer to the truth, there will be a lot less variation in those opinions.
Designated rant zone. Perfect.
completely, totally, utterly understand & agree - my last 'relationship' was filled with this for years - where he would constantly equate 'you're wrong' with 'I'm right' (- including this very point (endless circle of frustration, trying to explain the two do not equate). I am more than willing to admit when I am wrong - and if appropriate apologize (sincerely & full) & make amends. we're human, we make mistakes. and esp in any intellectual field, including science, we are constantly learning new information, what is 'right' one day may need to be amended, rethought, reevaluated in light of new data the next. also very much enjoyed the tweet - (think not on the dread god Retal, lest he find purchase back into this world, all hail & blessings to the mighty wizard Dejiwin - she saved us all)
Thanks for doing what you do, because no one else does what you do the way you do it. The dark side of the webbernet is the licence some people feel it gives them to be rude, illogical, and idiotic. And we certainly live in a time when the True/False binary doesn't seem to allow for grey areas. Being that people are by and large no longer taught to think for themselves, such antagonism is celebrated. (After all, that's what the lamestream media do, innit.) For my part, I've been an (amateur) student of ON literature and language my whole life, and I have no qualms in saying that I'm truly grateful for your work in general, from your books, and from what I've learned from you personally on the subject. You've connected many seemingly unrelated dots for me on this topic, and about linguistics in general, which has also been a passion of mine. Please keep up the great work. Cheers!
Don't sweat the small stuff... minds. People cry over the most ridiculous things, you're doing fine, keep up the honest work. (you obviously have fun with it)
Absolutely love these! Ta :-)
I wonder if their argument would be a false dichotomy ? Your way is wrong therefore mine is right.
I’m from the generation that watched a test pattern on the TV before the Saturday cartoons came on. You could read a cereal box to me and I would enjoy it! I think there’s enough variety in your material to please any learner. There’s the history angle, the linguistic angle, the religious angle, the mystery angle, the art angle, and so much more. With so many different opinions, there’s bound to be conflict but I think you handle that well too! My own thoughts are that Christianity has decimated many cultures and belief systems. We are so lucky to have the fragments that remain.
The next time you feel like beating up on yourself for choosing the path of Old Norse, I want you to remember the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan. Now, THAT was a sad day! Or maybe think about the sphinx in Egypt, because that was a sad day too. As a retired teacher I would meet with folks who told me I was wrong all the time and I would always reply, “you could be right about that!”😂
Each evening before I close my eyes I choose one of your postings and listen to a story about the past. It’s very healing!
Best to you Dr. Jackson Crawford,
Thoughtthingy
Pedanticism... one of my least liked of the Humanities. I feel your pain on that one.
As for projecting confidence... one of my favourite sayings... "The sublime confidence of the truly ignorant."
I am very on board with your rejection of ivory tower hidebound conventionalism and inset schools of thought that are resistant to new ideas.
Some of the most challenging and interesting ideas for me are the ones that challenge orthodoxy. The works of Farley Mowat (Westviking and The Farfarers) are a fascinating example. They are roundly dismissed by the orthodoxy, but contain some interesting insights.
More recently I’ve become interested in the linguistic theories of Myron Payne. He theorizes that some Native American words come from Old Norse. I’d be interested to hear what this community thinks of Dr. Payne’s theories. He puts them forward in his “Frozen Trail to Merica” series of books.
Without any particular linguistic expertise or knowledge of Old Norse, his ideas fascinate me, but i haven’t heard a scholarly examination of them.
Thanks for standing up for free thought and against closedmindedness! Skål!
"A person who doesn't make mistakes rarely makes anything of value." Of course, it's easier to say that when you don't live in a society that while saying it celebrates mistakes actually grinds you to dust and makes you feel worthless and destroys your life for making them.
What it sounds like you're describing is the Dunning-Kruger effect; the less you know about a subject, the more confident in the subject you are (unless you know nothing at all), while the more you know about a subject, the less confidence you have - it's a matter of knowing what you don't know. Being subscribed to a large number of different channels across many different topics, I can tell you this problem also exists in fields as far afield as quantum physics and U.S. history. There's a general suspicion of authority and expertise that is really going to make things, uh, interesting over the next few decades.
Welcome to the world of theology my friend.
Don't worry, you will always find people who want to point out any mistake and make a huge deal out of it.
PD:
I'm really insterested on your theory of the origin of Baldr's death and hope to hear it in detail.
The gods were made by us, not the other way around. That doesn't mean they aren't powerful -- they are stories, and stories are powerful -- but it does mean that human beings make them up, and manipulate them to suit their human purposes. The old gods of Northern Europe in particular have attracted a host of charlatans claiming to speak for them.
Thank you, Jackson, for giving us so many excellent tools for learning about these old gods without claiming to speak for them.
This kind of critical attitude apparently isn't for everyone. As a pretty ignorant layman who never went to college I look up to people like you who are really sincere about the limit of knowing and are capable of exercising doubt when it's called for, so I try to mimick what they do as much as my capacity can allow for. So when people tell me some pretty baseless claim I try to show how baseless it seems to me (not necessarily wrong, because a totally baseless claim can be correct even if by pure luck), hoping to better _our_ understanding of the subject, but what often happens is they assume I'm saying they're _wrong_ and that I'm right, when all I'm doing is trying to lay bare why they got the conclusion (more like impression) that they did. At that point we would have to go back to the fundamentals of conversation away from the very subject we were talking about or just stop talking, and that irritates people because they weren't able to share the view that they got from someone or some people they trust, and they feel like they got offended, when it's really them who often make _ad hominem_ attacks. I guess that's life tho
Thanks for keeping studying of Old Norse interesting. Now; the basis is the old popperian expression "You may be right, and I may be wrong, let us talk together" is a good academic position. Now - you try to keep it "clean from agendas" is worthy and keeps me watching this channel. Ad fontes - look at the sources rules. Keep it up, worries will always come that it is not perfect,.... well keep it interesting and learn and be humble for the mistakes will always be. Dont worry or be to wise,... Didn´t Odin say something like that?
@@stardust86x Ha ha, wasnt my intention. Academics are meant to talk, not sing,....
keep an open mind, there is only one history but thousends of possibilities and we dont know which one is correct
Some people just dont use logic, reasoning. I wish we could do something about it, but so far I've not found much success in this area.
It took me quite a long time to discover what you point out here. As in.... person A is not a good person - person B opposes person A - so therefore person B must be good. Ahhhh, no. Person B may also not be a good person. Two people can disagree and both be objectively wrong. Wish I understood this 50 years ago.
This just in: Old Norse guru dislikes some of the husbands in his family!
But seriously: thanks for your intellectual honestly, your expertise, and for making these highly informative videos.
Hey do you know which futhark the saxons (in Germany not England) used before picking up Latin script?
Joel from The Last of Us makes some great points.
People are often just a$$holes. I hated when I would teach and someone would ask an obscure gotcha question just to try to show me up. Some people just want to prove that they are smarter than the teacher.
Can any translation from one language to another be 100% correct? Can there be a "most" correct translation? I don't think there can.
One of the hallmarks of people that don't understand a subject, is not understanding where the frontier of their ignorance on the subject is. So just by understanding that, you are leaps ahead of those people.
My two most used phrases 😌 cause Im a little genius
This video has nothing to do with that last video from Nordic Animism, right? Just asking out of pure curiosity.
that raven artwork is cool :D
Like the video subject, but just felt I had to say that you are wrong.
I though I was right but it turns out I'm rather obtuse
You have nothing to apologize for. We all have computer problems ;-(
I’m a scientist so…I will say not only do people NOT do well with uncertainty, but they also don’t really understand confidence intervals. While a CI is something fairly specific in statistics, I think the idea of it is applicable to other general domains (to describe the phenomenon I think you’re talking about). You can be “wrong” in the minds of some personality types, but the reality is you’re likely still in the ballpark. Some people don’t even know what ballpark they’re in.
Don't worry about it. Even back when people were arguing with eachother in their publications, they would talk past eachother and so forth.
When that happens I usually just go, we won't ever understand eachother, lets end the talk, it's a waste of energy.
Unfortunately what often happens in the midst of this people start being condescending and you have to defend your honor.
But blocking is very effective.
And yeah, it turns out humans are not infallible by the least and people will point out what they think are mistakes to contribute to the community having the best understanding of a topic at hand.
And lets say some people are more tactful or more respectful about the way they point that out.
i once thought that had made a mistake. but was wrong.
I think two things are at play. 1) People don't know what the hell 'constructive criticism ' is. That is when you point out, with evidence to back up your argument that a mistake has been made and a path to help that person correct it. This is in opposition to the "You're wrong, I'm right" and then flipping the table in a huff. 2) The nature of the internet and human nature of loving to see a fall. Nothing pleases a few more than watching someone who excels at something screw up and being able to rub their faces in it.
These ancient languages are complex and, in some cases, not standardized. I recall reading in junior high reading William Blake's poem "The Tyger" for the first time and learning what poetic license meant by him rhyming eye and symmetry. If you did not know this, you would not rhyme it when reading. It is incorrect, but it is correct due to that poetic license.
I'm fairly sure these ancient folk did not carry round a bunch of standing-stone dictionaries with them anyway. 😂
Mistakes happen. Yes, they need corrected, but it should be a way to help learn and not be used as a cudgel to break someone. If you make a mistake, then own up, learn from it, and do better. That is all we should expect, and we should respect that.
Thank you, Dr. Jackson. You make learning interesting and enjoyable. That my friend is worth its weight in gold.
Can we all have a petition to have Jackson rename the series to 'Rant Porch' for future videos?
(I apologize for missing punctuation, but it has never been my strongest skill)
We need more retired professors giving lectures online. They can 'give back', make a few bucks, help educate those who don't have the time or money to go to school themselves. And they can stay busy with something they feel good about.
He who warns another, his hands are clean.
Is that a wool western shirt? Where can I find one like it?
It makes me sad how often you talk badly about your decision to do a PhD studying old Norse, for one it's led to these wonderful video which I really love and have got me a lot more interested in old Norse, but also because I would like to do a PhD in history, and hearing you, having done one, saying it was the wrong decision, makes me question whether I should (though I'm not sure exactly why you aren't happy with you're decision)
He goes into it several times and has at least one whole video just on the topic of why he left academia.
@JacksonDunnoKnows He worked on AC valhalla, Frozen 2, and I'm sure many more titles, he usually does videos about his work on these titles.
But I'm sure it's irritating when you have people who watched the Vikings TV show, and believe that to be the true Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok, approaching you with purely nonsensical questions; when they haven't read your translation of the actual Saga.
So do you think he just considered it a mistake financially/career wise? Idk the way he puts it makes it sound like he regrets on a lot of levels
The denigration of others in order to boost one's own agenda or cause is sadly not limited to high school.
We love uuuuu
people like to be armchair investigators. they want a reward for their investigation. So they either want to be right or point to somebody else that is right. I see this all the time around trials. True crime enthusiasts build a theory of the case, based on unimportant and biased information, that does not hold up in court. When the bombshell evidence, that they believe will prove guilt, gets presented it often suggests the exact opposite is likely. Its interesting to see how these people act throughout the course of a trial. When things aren't going the way they romanced they come up with all kind of theories such as prosecution purposely throwing the case, or judge is payed off or some other dirty deals. They would rather accept the absurd than the idea they could have been wrong.
Is this about dr Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen?
I came here with this question also and I’m still uncertain. I know Mathias Nordvig also did a video similar to Rune’s. I suspect he must have received a lot of feedback regarding his interpreting the evidence for magic rune use. Perhaps this response is more generally pointed that direction than any one rebuttal? Hard to say. I would love to see Rune and Jackson (and Mathias!) discuss this.
@@omnizac I would love to see podcast style discussion video between these three, but I doubt that would ever happen as dr Crawford is oddly avoiding the question and instead resorts to name calling and strawman arguments in this video
I hope not. Dr. Rasmussen showed nothing but total respect for Dr. Crawford in his differing in opinion as to whether single Runes were used as symbols as well as letters or not. He also has never (to my knowledge) ever claimed in his videos that some God gave him any knowledge to pass on...as far as I've seen Dr. Rasmussen finds his examples from the available historic sources (he gave several examples for his assertions that Runes have historically been used both as letters AND as symbols individually in his video on this) rather than relying on some unverified personal gnosis. Dr. Rasmussen doesn't seem to have any interest in being a 'guru' at all and is the first to point out his desire to push his own biases (getting Nordic Animism respected as much as any other Indigenous religious study) from within the scope of his scholarly lane as much as any other scholar.
You got me when you said the word "No".
Until we meet again in Valhalla, Sir.
Just sayin'.
My youngest sister thinks Jackson Crawford is a hunk. She's a little older than him, and just a year older than my first child. So I think he's a nice looking young man. Mostly I respect his careful thoughtfulness in the subject matter he discusses. I don't have any knowledge base to assess whether he's right or wrong about his area of expertise, but I've found it unhelpful to read the comments on his videos, unless they humbly suggest possibilities or offer interesting supplemental information. But my little sister just thinks he's eye candy.
TED Talk presenters show loads of confidence yet I cannot get why they are talking.
It's a logical fallacy, but not many people are exposed to formal logic and critical thinking. People tend to think emotionally and entertain a wide variety of fallacies.
Dude, I agree with everything you say. But you can be more succinct by naming fallacies from formal logic. You mentioned two: appeal to ignorance (argumentum ad ignoratio), and appeal to authority.
I'm sure it isn't necessarily easy no navigate the waters of you coming at the subject as a scholar and a large portion of your community coming from a spiritual place. If you say anything that goes against ones religious beliefs they will get take it as a spiritual attack on them. immediately wanting to discredit you. Even if you are just speaking objectively some will feel attacked. keep it up love our insight
The Rant Ranch
A ranch porch rant? Isn’t this a rantch porch?