From: Samantha Atkins (samantha@objectent.com)
Date: Wed Jul 17 2002 - 00:40:21 MDT
Eliezer S. Yudkowsky wrote:
> Vanessa Novaeris wrote:
>
>> spike wrote:
>>
>> <<Do you remember how you were immediately distracted from your studies,
>> agonizing over this girl or that, how you had to worry about dating,
>> getting
>> a car, perhaps mopping floors at the local Burger Barn to support your
>> car,
>> to support your social life? Do you remember that you were suddenly very
>> distracted with all manner of pointless exercises, drawn away from your
>> studies in perhaps the middle of the most critical developmental
>> years? Did
>> you not waste your effort? (Hint: Yes. You did.)>>
>>
>> So sex to me, since I don't plan on procreating EVER, seems essentially
>> pointless & without any real purpose. It seems like kind of a waste
>> when I
>> think how that is time I could be spending productively to actually
>> accomplish
>> something.
>
>
> Hear hear. I espouse roughly this philosophy myself; I'm okay with the
> concept of romance/parenting after the Singularity, but I'm not going to
> activate that part of my life before then until I hear a rational, not
> rationalized, account of how this would advance the Singularity.
>
My, my. I don't know if this is massive dedication, a deep
puritan streak, or a bit of both. As Woodie Allen said, "Sex
may be a meaningless pleasure, but as meaningless pleasure goes,
it is the one of the best!" Do you engage in anything at all
just because it is pleasurable and enjoyable to do so? Or is
ever waking minute dedicated to your work of bring on the
Singularity? Do you do nothing that you cannot rationally see
advances the Singularity?
Now mind you, I have nothing against voluntary celibacy or
limiting of sexual/romantic pursuits for a variety of rasons.
But the above statement seems just a tad harsh. It may be
perfectly reasonable for you at this time though. Only you can
judge that.
> Interestingly, reactions to this seem to fall into one of two
> categories; either:
>
> 1) "You poor fool, depriving yourself of one of the essential joys of
> life! You can't live without love!"
>
> 2) "Yes! Stick to that! Don't go near yon haunted planet! I wish I'd
> thought of that before I got sucked in!"
>
<grin> I've had both reactions, among many others.
- samantha
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