Thread by @PreppyYoda

I read Dostoevsky and Shakespeare for the same reason physicists use mathematical formulas: as an abstraction to
1. Develop generalizable insights about reality, and
2. More easily communicate your insights to others
THREAD

1. In reality there are always thousands of variables that are unique to each situation and make it hard to apply insights from one scenario to another scenario. But by using models that only focus on the ESSENTIAL facts (that contribute large % of the

outcome), you can generalize between different situations (e.g. Netwonian physics describing the flight of a baseball and the motion of the planets). Writers like Dostoevsky and Shakespeare provide similar generalizable models,

for the human condition instead of for the physical world. By understanding the mimetic rivalry of Proteus and Valerius in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, you're prepared to understand similar situations in your own life.

2. Just as physicists can communicate a lot of information to each other using relatively little text by using mathematical formulas and models, literate people can condense real-life situations by using people and situations from literature as

metaphors - if you describe someone's relationship as being like that of a von Lembke or a Shatov (both from Dostoevsky's Demons), you've instantly communicated a great deal of information and context to help someone understand the situation.

TLDR: The reason math (applied math, e.g. physics) and literature are useful lies in their use as METAPHORS, to allow us to learn and communicate more effectively.
@mmay3r @MimeticValue @literalbanana