open: don't let the wine go to your brains

[untamedantinous]

It shouldn’t be this hard to prepare for a meeting. He’s done it countless times before. However, this time, it somehow is difficult. He’s never really had to set things up at times like this; and he knows as well as anyone else that he is not the best at social niceties. Granted, this meeting is in a much more well-appointed cafe than any he had ever been accustomed to holding space in in Paris. At least they have the benefit of a larger space. Consequently, Enjolras has spent much of the day of the eighth of Menestheus preparing, a little uncertain of how to plan a social gathering that is not immediately centered around planning a revolution. He is trying his best, at least.

Most of the tables and chairs have been pushed a bit more to the center of the room; the couch is arranged off to the opposite side. There are even various pillows scattered about, should anyone choose to sit on the floor. Arranged on a few of the larger tables and the counter there is a modest spread of food: of course, some of Laertes and Galahad’s pastries; but Enjolras has also procured what amounts to a few charcuterie platters: sliced sausages and meats, a selection of (mostly French) cheese, and various sliced loaves of bread and crackers are laid out for perusal, and spreads to go along with them. In an effort to provide multiple options of entertainment, Grantaire has set up a table somewhat near the food, with an assortment of wines and liqueurs. Off to one side, there are a few pots of brewed coffee, cream, sugar, and whatever else anyone might like to add to their beverage of choice. If anyone is drawn to the liquor cabinet, they will find three cups filled with various pieces of paper sitting atop it.

Enjolras himself is lingering on the couch with a glass of wine and some bread. He’s not sure how many people were even informed about this gathering, though he had done his best to advertise. If no one arrives then perhaps he will try again another time; but at least a few in attendance other than himself and Grantaire would certainly be welcome.

Comments

[futaille]

"No, the closer they're getting to sharing your subjective opinion, and even then they'll likely not share it in all particulars, which makes things much more interesting, as makes for a fuller spectrum."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Yuan frowns, slightly. "But if your opinion clarifies and shifts theirs because of the arguments you're making or the perspective you're bringing, doesn't that make it a more objective opinion than theirs?"

[futaille]

"Or you just have a convincing argument. But then, perhaps the definition of objectivity has shifted between our times."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Yuan rolls his eyes. "Oh, so now there's subjective definitions of objectivity? Please."

[futaille]

"It's hard to tell. After all, you seem to have one."

[peaklordshen]

"You don't?"

[futaille]

"Objective is objective. Objectively, you're taller than I am. Opinions are in the realm of subjectivity. Subjectively, pinball is more entertaining to play than Smash Brothers."

[peaklordshen]

This pinball opinion is so clearly designed to get a rise out of Shen Yuan he almost admires it. "No, subjectively you find pinball more fun to play. Smash is objectively a better game, despite your personal taste, it just has a higher learning curve, especially for someone with no other video game or television experience. That doesn't make you wrong about which one you enjoy more."

[futaille]

"Oh? I am curious then, as to what the objective criteria are that make one game better than another."

[peaklordshen]

"Fun is one thing, obviously. But there's also stuff like quality of visual design, replayability, responsiveness of the controls, how engaging it is for a breadth of people, how long-lived it is. Storyline, if applicable. How well the game does what it's designed to do." It's actually a little hard to come up with criteria that work for both Smash and pinball,¹ but he's not going to admit that. They'll just get back into the noodles vs bread fight.

¹ Almost like this isn't how anything works, dude.

[futaille]

"... Quality of visual design. So chess as a game improves if the pieces are carved more intricately?"

[peaklordshen]

"Sure," says Shen Yuan. "Doesn't it improve the experience for the players, if they're having both an aesthetically and strategically pleasing time?"

[futaille]

"But it's still the same game. A minor aesthetic difference doesn't make a substantive change to the quality of the game¹."

¹Despite what EA might tell you with its iterative sports franchises.

[peaklordshen]

"But it's all cumulative. Aesthetic doesn't outweigh strategy or anything else, but if you put a cool pinball machine with beautiful art and lights and bells that work next to one that's plain and dull, and they both work exactly the same, wouldn't you say the beautiful one is better?"

[futaille]

"I would personally enjoy the more lively one more, yes. But I don't know if I'd call that objective. Someone who finds loud noises intolerable, for instance, may well prefer the plainer one. It may in fact be the only way they could enjoy pinball at all."

[peaklordshen]

For a second Shen Yuan imagines Galahad playing pinball on the plainest, saddest pinball machine of all time, and then waves it away to continue arguing. "But them not enjoying loud, beautiful pinball doesn't make the machine less beautiful, and doesn't change the fact that the vast majority of people would choose something aesthetically pleasing over something that isn't."

[futaille]

"Of course. But that just makes it a very common opinion, not an objective fact. Facts make the structure of existence but it's the opinions that decorate it and actually make it interesting."

[peaklordshen]

"Okay," says Shen Yuan, crossing his arms. "Let's pretend that's true. Tell me a fact."

[futaille]

"Earth is mostly covered in water."

[peaklordshen]

This is, Shen Yuan has to admit, a pretty good fact, but he soldiers on. "How do we know?"

[futaille]

"A great number of people in boats making maps."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Yuan blinks. "Right, you're—right. I forgot I was speaking from future privilege. See, I know because a great number of people worked together to send a small number of people to space and they took photographs of it."

[futaille]

"Well, that's remarkable. Quite the opportunity."

[peaklordshen]

"Yeah, it's wild," says Shen Yuan. "Anyway—I'm not arguing that the Earth isn't mostly covered in water, I'm not, like, a flat-earther or whatever. But that's a fact because it's a consensus of experiences. Both your boat guys and my astronauts observed the world and drew conclusions about it, and those conclusions were backed up by everyone who used the boat maps to navigate or whatever, everyone who looked at pics of the earth, and the consensus of that became the fact. And if you told that fact to—I don't know, someone from far further back than anyone here, before they'd made all your boat maps, they'd disagree, because it conflicts with their consensus reality."

[futaille]

"I admit I am now curious as to what your line between fact and opinion is."