Originally Posted by Arrogant-One
(a) Sell books
(b) Try to appear more intelligent than they really are; and
(c) Become well known enough to guarantee their tenure at the University they teach at.
In other words, they are motivated out of self interest.
Not a useful rule(s) of thumb to apply to authors and their books. Apllication of them would see no book burning because nobody would ever buy them.
I read what they have written and attempt to fit it with what I already know or modify my knowledge base to accomodate. When a writer is obfuscating* it is obvious to me, so I read it anyway to remind myself of what self deluded fools some people can be.
* btw, this word was first used on CC by me. I claim it, along with "Name names."