[blml] Many mansions

[Wayne Burrows]

On 18/01/07, gesta at tiscali.co.uk <gesta at tiscali.co.uk> wrote:
>
>
> Grattan Endicott<gesta at tiscali.co.uk
> [also grandeval at vejez.fsnet.co.uk]
> *****************************************
> "Beware when the great God lets
> loose a thinker on this planet."
>              ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson.
> ===========================
> +=+ I see references once more to that doughty
> warrior General Knowledge and Experience, whose
> mission so often appears to be to rescue the
> sophist from the sword of the Director. What then
> of GK&E? Can we put a definition to the name? Or
> is this demon a spirit that takes a different shape
> in the eye of each beholder?
>       My opinion is: first, that since the term sets
> a standard by what is general to players, the usage
> should relate it to the tournament in which the
> question arises - that the knowledge and experience
> should be 'general' to the participants in that
> tournament; second, that accordingly the question
> to determine is whether it is a reasonable
> expectation that an opponent in that tournament
> would share the knowledge and the experience.
> That, in my opinion, is the judgement to be made.
>      However, because it is something we have each
> to judge, the moment of truth will arrive when an
> opponent says, unexpectedly, "I did not know that"
> and "I have never experienced that".  Prima facie we
> are in the wrong. Inevitably we are on the back foot
> if it turns out that something we omitted to say
> affects the opponent's choice of action significantly.
> So, instead of trying to assess and defend what is
> GK&E, perhaps our time would be better occupied in
> considering what special information about our
> understandings is likely to affect the enquirer's
> choice of action - and in ensuring that he is in
> possession of this information. Attack is the best
> form of defence? - or maybe not?
>                           ~ Grattan ~   +=+

Grattan you miss out one very important word in the use of this phrase
in the lawbook.  That word is 'his' - 'his general knowledge and
experience'.

The use of that word suggests that general knowledge and experience
belongs to an individual and therefore may well differ from one person
to another.

To me this phrase is a contrast with 'special partnership
understanding' which is something that I develop with my partner
through discussion and experience whereas 'general knowledge and
experience' comes from my personal reading and thoughts and experience
and discussion with other bridge players etc.

Wayne