Randy Smith wrote:
>
> >From: Dehede011@aol.com
> >Reply-To: extropians@extropy.org
> >To: extropians@extropy.org
> >Subject: Re: Fear of Letting People Get Things They Want
> >Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2000 10:12:16 EDT
> >
> >In a message dated 9/23/00 3:17:10 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
> >samantha@objectent.com writes:<< There is a survival advantage only in a
> >world of scarcity where even mere surival actually is pretty problematic.
> >The trouble is we haven't thought past genetic conditioning that is largely
> >outmoded. - samantha >>
> >
> >Samantha,
> > Can you imagine the greed, jealousy and short sightedness present in
> >people that don't want to see others have anything?
> > I was raised in a poor segment of society. Early on I was let hnow
> >that
> >my ticket out was in "hitting the books." When I was in college I was
> >ridiculed gently by my friends for not going to work and "making some
> >money."
> > Early in my career, the "sphagetti years," those same friends offered to
> >help me get a "good job." Then when things came my way they said, "I never
> >had it lucky like you." Now that we are all retired they want the
> >"govament"
> >to give them more. They never connect the dots and realise the money to
> >"give them more" will come from their very children that need the money to
> >raise their grandchildren. Yet statistics show that we retirees have more
> >discretionary income than the group that is raising children. Greed and
> >lack
> >of foresight.
> >Ron H.
>
> So then what are you saying? You worked harder thna others and
> *prevailed*...over them?
> Thanks for making my point: society is a competition...there are winnners
> and losers.
>
What a wierd conclusion to draw from the above! It is one conclusion
that can be drawn but certainly not the only one or the most important.
"Prevailing over" assumes that their are winners and losers and always
and forever more will be. It assumes that competition always trumps
cooperation, that the gain of one is the loss of another, that we live
in a zero sum game. The main point of the above that I got is that
intelligence and understanding is much more important than just hard
work and that taking a longer view is the way to happiness and success.
The message was not about beating someone else. The others were offered
as contrast.
- samantha
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