malmo wrote:
Childish posts. All by the same person no doubt.
Intrinsic value is real, inherent. e.g. A 4:00 mile is intrinsically superior to a 4:00 1600.
Extrinsic valuations are derived. They are the results of subjective assessments. A 4:00 mile is extrinsically superior to a 3:59.0 1600.
Well, the ones *after* mine might all be by a single other person...
In any case:
intrinsic–adjective 1. belonging to a thing by its very nature: the intrinsic value of a gold ring.
Malmo, I can see your point here--that, from the results, one doesn't (can't) *know* that this year's winner of the MOC, with the same effort, could have continued the additional nine-plus meters to the mile, and produced a time superior to the mile record. Hell, who knows, he could have dropped dead at 1602m and never even finished.
How about a more extreme example? Is a 4:00 mile, run 60-60-60-60, superior to a 1:58 half, run 59-59? That is, is it a better accomplishment? It surely is, but we don't *know* that the 4:00 guy could have broken 1:58 with a similar effort (because he didn't!).
Similarly, is a 4:00 mile superior to a 10:00 (or 12:00 or 15:00) two-mile? Yes--even though we don't *know* that the 4:00 guy could have finished two miles with a similar quality of effort (because he didn't!).
But the 4:00 is better *in itself* than those other two things are. It's *intrinsically* superior. If you say "only in comparison--only subjectively"--well, hell, it's a free country. You may use the language as you wish.
But you should not be surprised if other native speakers say that you're using the incorrect word ("extrinsic," where they use "intrinsic"). And you should not be surprised that insisting on this nonstandard usage (which you have to because, after all, you *said it*, and it's inconceivable that you would be wrong--or acknowledge an error) means that a lot of native speakers will consider you a doofus.
...on this point, that is. OTOH, I recommend the Summer of Malmo to almost everyone who asks for guidance on summer prep for cross-country season.
Gosh, that would almost imply that a person could be right on some things and wrong on others! Go figure!