[hzhou321]

You mean -- where to find experts that can tolerate newbie asking off-base questions and showing off their bottle half full? If you just find people with "a deep love of learning", you guys end up just bouncing shallow questions and answers off each other, right? I am not saying that is not fun, but I am not sure that is really "a deep love of learning".

From an expert point of view, where is motivation of tolerating adult "curiosities"? I can easily tolerate a 5-year old who genuinely curious and assumes no base of understanding, which I can enjoy building my explanations from ground up. You get the satisfaction of filling an empty cup and and occasionally, the naive 5-year-old may seriously challenge your fundamental understanding and you yourself learn something. Not all 5-year-olds are like that, and extremely rare to find such adults.

I think the people you are looking for, with "a deep love of learning", is every where. For example, who love reading popular books on subjects that they are not familiar. That is why there are so many popular non-fiction books. But, are you sure that you are actually seeking each other out?

IMO, if you are truly with "a deep love of learning", study text books and take MIT open courses, and then read scientific papers. Then you will find those experts -- they are always listed in the references with contact associations.

[btheshoe]

hey, I get that you've probably had negative experiences in the past with people like this, but it's possible to enjoy learning without being an asshole about it. There's really no need for this kind of negativity.

[hzhou321]

When one reads a reply that is out of his expectation, and when his expectations was for granted, then that reply will be perceived as negative or hostile, right? But the reply may just be out of his expectation.

This is common when a newbie discuss with an expert and when the newbie assumes certain understanding that are in fact incorrect or should be redefined. When the expert try to explain or correct that basis, in a way of explaining why the question was a wrong question, it may often be perceived as lack of respect -- one deserves to ask an question without the question being attacked, right?

The "asshole" is uncalled for.

[lcnPylGDnU4H9OF]

Perhaps I am wrong but I suspect they intended to suggest that the people with whom you've had negative experiences are the assholes.

> ... it's possible to enjoy learning without being an asshole about it

The perspective might be that the people asking off-base questions are being disrespectful by not bothering to understand what they would like to ask.

Anyway, if it helps: I do not think you were really being an asshole but I can see how a person might have thought that you were assuming others to be assholes.

[Shorel]

I actually make a mental map of which concepts the other person understand, and which ones they don't.

Trying to find relevant examples and activities to teach just this one thing, using all previously learned things, is an enjoyable intellectual exercise by itself.

[batmanturkey]

Bizarre response for “how do I meet people who love learning, presumably for friendship “

I too would like to share more of my immediate world with passionate people who are curious and creative. I find small talk and beer and football at the cafe to be boring. I actually went to a debate salon the other day just to hear some actual thought behind the mindless typical chatter.

[batmanturkey]

I didn’t get any sense that the OP was a newbie trying to enter a new field with no prior study.

The question was about how to meet people who love to learn.

You suggested that they contact authors of papers in some subject that interests them.

Both your comment and your suggestion precisely place the OP in a position where they are exactly what you describe: a newbie begging for crumbs from a big person.

I rather did get the sense that the OP wants to meet interested and interesting people, people with a passion for learning. I did presume for peer level friendship and mutual joy, rather than the up-dog/down-dog game you suggest.

[the_only_law]

> you guys end up just bouncing shallow questions and answers off each other, right?

Sounds kinda like HN