"We know perfectly well what we are doing"...? Whether meant literally or sarcastically, this is hubristic. We have imperfect knowledge of a complex system. We cannot know perfectly well what we are doing, even if "what we are doing" is a few serving their own interests.
It's meant to be taken in concert with the rest of the statement. It would be absolutely foolish to do anything if you can't predict the outcomes, regardless of how well versed and skilled you are in whatever art it is you are practicing.
And yes.. you can know perfectly what you are doing. I'm sitting in a chair typing a comment. Are you suggesting that this is actually gnostic hubris on my part?
> And yes.. you can know perfectly what you are doing. I'm sitting in a chair typing a comment. Are you suggesting that this is actually gnostic hubris on my part?
I think you have inadvertently helped validate GP's point. They are clearly not talking about the level like that of sitting in a chair typing a comment. They are talking about the actual impact of what you are doing versus the intended impact. For example, I assume the intended impact of your sitting in a chair typing a comment, was to successfully influence the conversation by making a strong argument. However, things are a lot more complex than most humans can predict, therefore our actions can often have unintended consequences.
