Generalizations

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...including this one.

And to generalize is to be an idiot (Zen saying, I think).

both of which are themselves generalizations.


I think of generalizations as linguistic equivalents to mathematical equations, but ones that can act like "equations of everything". I think since no such equation exists in maths (one that truly works in every situation), therefore no generalization is entirely general.

Generalizations are a useful and convenient way of organizing information when it is inefficient to deal with all available data at once. However, I always think it is important to keep generalizations in perspective and to realize that they must be supported by hard facts and specific examples.

A popular criticism of people who prefer specifics over broad generalizations is that we "can't see the forest for the trees." Well, I assert that the "forest" is not a thing in and of itself- it is only an abstraction, a name we assign to an particular area that helps us to organize what we see more effectively. But in the end, a forest is composed of individual trees.

Throw the baby out with the bath-water is a good idea when you don't like the baby. It is all social politics.