From: Samantha Atkins (samantha@objectent.com)
Date: Wed Jun 13 2001 - 02:00:58 MDT
"Robert J. Bradbury" wrote:
>
> Well, it looks like I'm going to have to throw my 2 cents
> in here.
>
> When the chips rain down, I strongly suspect there is no
> "vs" in the choices. If we navigate the path successfully,
> then the probability that most of us (or at least those of
> us (or our children) who realize the option is on the table)
> will be able to make the Godhood transition is high. The human
> population cannot grow fast enough to prevent this.
>
Probably not. But many are going to worry about how they and
there children will find a place and be able to survive and
thrive in what is coming. I think that is a fair question and
that we should put some effort into coming up with answers
rather than just crying for more full speed ahead. We would
get a lot less push-back and potentially a lot more investment
and co-workers that way.
Some also worry that we are in an all-fired hurry to make
god-sized versions of these pretty flawed egos that most of us
think of as ourselves. Without transformation of the self that
looks like an at best ambiguous goal.
> If we do not navigate the path successfully, and most of
> us end up with no chips, then the wisest choice for anyone
> in a "being" caretaker (parent) position is to provide options
> that minimize pain and suffering if the choices that have to be
> made (regarding survival) end up being non-voluntary.
>
Who says it has to be structured so it is possible to end up
with "no chips"? We get to rewrite much of the rules as we
go. What non-voluntary "choices" are you referring to
exactly?
> So the question comes down to what supports you or gives
> you the greatest pleasure until you find out how the lottery
> is going to turn out?
>
But we can be a bit more proactive than that.
> The people who will determine the outcome of the game are
> almost certainly already living. They are probably between
> the ages of 15 and 45 (yikes, I barely make it under the
> limit...).
I am now two birthdays past the limit. And still not a fossil.
:-)
> From my perspective I have no idea whether or
> not I can change the outcome -- I think that may be
> lost in chaos theory beyond our view. I only can see
> my influencing possible paths perhaps +/- 2 years.
That depends on the degree of leverage. Reach enough minds,
inspire them, teach them and so on and your reach increases.
>
> People who bring children into the world (or who already
> have them) and educate them with an "adapt fast" mentality
> may be helping to develop those who will survive the
> transition most successfully and who choose bring their history
> (family) with them. It is questionable from my perspective
> whether anyone above the teenage years will have the
> flexibility to ramp up the singularity slope.
Flexibility is not always a question of how old you are. Many
of us have worked hard all our lives to retain as much
flexibility as we can.
>
> There may be two ways to view this -- (a) as a pessimist
> that your survival of the singularity is unlikely, so
> you may wish to have as much fun as you can (and
> presumably one can structure raising children so
> it is fun) before the gameboard is upended; or (b)
> as viewing that children may be a possible route that
> may drag you (kicking and screaming) into the future.
>
Heck, I'd rather play pied-piper to lure the children and those
who haven't ossified of all ages into the future. I don't
require any dragging.
> I think those perspectives would outweigh perspectives
> that one should not have children (for resource conservation
> reasons or personal-time-benefiting-the-world-direction
> resons). The resource issues are irrelevant until we
> have maxed out the solar system and ones ability to
> influence the overall direction is probably extremely
> limited.
I believe that each of us has an ability to influence the
overall direction that is MUCH larger than we allow ourselves to
believe and definitely larger than we allow ourselves to act
on. The main dampers on our influence are internal.
Understanding that and claiming it requires a lot of self
examination and self-overcoming. Not many can/will do that.
And I am just barely awake and grasping of what is possible
myself, to be honest. But it seems to me very self-defeating
to define oneself as being of little consequence in what is to
come. Why set that up as a self-fulfilling prophecy?
On the other hand, I know what it is to refuse a lot of what
live can hold because one is waiting for the "right time" and
the "right work". That can also be a wasting game.
- samantha
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