Technical essays often strive for simplicity and clarity. However, we should not confuse striving for clarity in arguments with desiring conclusive outcomes. Some concepts are inherently ambiguous. Some cultures and languages have created room for such ambiguity to thrive. Luis Frois, a 16th-century missionary in Japan, wrote in Topsy-turvy, that “We avoid vague expressions” while Japanese “set a high value on the ambiguous”. He wrote, “We write letters in great length, they write brief ones”. Maybe Frois was right. Perhaps he was wrong about his conclusion. Can we let this one be ambiguous? Ambiguity is not “known unknowns”. When I think of known unknowns, I think of unknowns that we can’t be sure about, but it is possible with more and…
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