Roark in The Fountainhead:
“That, precisely, is the deadliness of second-handers. They have no concern for facts, ideas, work. They’re concerned only with people. They don’t ask: ‘Is this true?’ They ask: ‘Is this what others think is true?’
“Is this what others think is true?” has many forms. The following are attempts to capture the essence of the linked second-handed example in question form, and present an alternate, rational question – a form of “Is this true?” – that could be asked instead. The examples are drawn from this thread.
| Second-handed question | Rational question |
|---|---|
| Is he peer reviewed? | Do his ideas make sense? |
| Who does he think he is (to disagree with everyone)? | Do his arguments make sense? |
| Do people recognize this person as bad? | Is this person bad according to some objective standard? |
| Can I ignore this person due to their low status? | How should I engage with this person in light of my own values and goals? |
| Is this game popular? | Is this game fun (according to some rational standard)? |
| What meals would look good on my instagram? | What meals would I enjoy eating? |
| Are prestigious people using this app? | Will this app help me achieve some goal or value of mine? |
| What coat would people approve of? | What coat would keep me warm? |
| What will people think of the increasing deaths? | How can we keep people alive? |
| Will people think I’m being alarmist about the virus? | Is the virus a serious threat to the lives of millions of people? |