From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Wed Sep 25 2002 - 18:18:20 MDT
Jeff writes
> [Spike wrote]
>> let me propose an idea. One can clearly state
>> without being condescending, that one is going
>> meta, which is to say, one wishes to have the
>> readers of an idea temporarily turn off their
>> emotions, and look at an idea the way a human
>> level AI would see it.
> [Lee writes]
>> If it's possible at all, I'll claim, it would
>> take superhuman intelligence to do it. I don't
>> think that anyone *can* turn off their emotions.
> I think it is neither impossible nor even difficult,
> so long as one does not take this to mean a complete
> cessation of emotion. That, seems unreasonable, as it
> implies IMO the ! non-activity of the neurons involved.
Yes, that's right (though we still disagree about
the impossibility and ease of so doing)
> If however you mean the conscious suppression of
> impulse-driven responses, then I think it is, in
> fact, a time worn tradition, a fundamental
> principle of rationalism in search of rational
> discourse.
To *try* to suppress your impulse-driven responses
is indeed, just as you say, an important principle
of rationalism. I, unlike you perhaps, believe that
people truly succeed very rarely: in about *half*
the cases where they do succeed, they end up saying
either to themselves or out loud, "Oh, I guess that
I was wrong about that."
And, as you know, that's quite rare. The usual case
is that people try, yes, but then believe that they've
succeeded, and thereby think that no subtle influences
coming from their emotional centers are in play.
The truth, I claim, is that these subtle effects
race ahead of your rational apparatus and influence
the conclusion that it reaches, and that this happens
almost entirely on an unconscious level. Haven't
you ever felt it? I have on a few occasions. I'm
trying to think dispassionately and analytically
but notice just the faintest signal that has gone
out ahead, and biases my evaluation.
Of course, when I notice it, I can take counter-
measures. If I feel like it. But what about all
the unconscious times that how I am going to feel
about a conclusion influences the way that the
reasons fold together to support or refute it?
Perhaps this doesn't happen to some people, but
I'll bet it happens to most. Haven't you ever
*felt* your heart leading your mind?
Lee
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