From: John Marlow (johnmarlow@gmx.net)
Date: Wed May 02 2001 - 00:18:15 MDT
On 1 May 2001, at 22:48, BigBooster wrote:
> At 09:08 PM 05/01/2001 -0700, "John Marlow" <johnmarlow@gmx.net> wrote:
> >Brief comments...
> >
> >#
>
> Thanks for some insightful comments!
#No prob. Both courses are disastrous--one sooner, one later.
>
> >On 1 May 2001, at 13:21, BigBooster wrote:
> > >...
>
> I agree that there are better strategies than the only two I
> mentioned. I tried to point out that one kind of error had
> disastrous potential, while the other didn't.
>
I also expect that because of the values
> and beliefs I now hold (including extropian principles), and my
> practices related to personal health, I'm likely to live longer (even
> in the absence of technological life-extension advances) than
> even Mormons who wear "protective underwear!"
#Then again--there's always that stray meteor, asteroid, or
psychopath.
> There may be times when the limbic system needs to take
> over control to initiate rapid action before the neocortex has
> time to think about it. There are also times when the lizard
> brain is ideal for initiating "fight or flight!"
#Repetitive physical training "wears a groove" into the brain--
presumably in the lizard brain. x no. of reps (I forget the number)
makes the reaction instinctive. Curiously, strong "If THIS happens, I
WILL do THIS" decision can accomplish the same end with zero
repetitions--but this doesn't work with everyone.
> >#Strictly interpreted, this would have led to perpetual stagnation.
> >Therefore, it's not entirely accurate. The conformists are still
> >swinging through the trees.
>
> Correct. There have probably always been "clever nonconfirmists"
> who pretended to be conformists most of the time and didn't
> rock the boat more than could be tolerated. (At the risk of
> seeming paternalistic, I must confess that so far on this
> topic I've written at a fairly high level of abstraction and
> generality, to avoid mentioning some specific human errors
> that might result in my being perceived as a crackpot!)
#Nonquiet conformists are called "revolutionaries."
Perception is not reality.
>
> For best results, nonconformists need to operate intelligently,
> that is, pretend to be conformists much of the time -- "When in
> Rome, do as the Romans!"
#Must know when to break out and become a revolutionary.
And where, in the end, did 'doing as the Romans do' get the Romans,
hmm?
:)
jm
John Marlow
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