Posted by
Douglas Roberts-2 on
Apr 06, 2012; 5:10pm
URL: http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/So-Are-We-Alone-tp7425235p7443619.html
Thank you, Glen.
Re: Vampires, Twilight is one thing that happened. Ick.
A note on "dazzled" or "bedazzled", vs. "amused", or "bemused": I am frequently amused, and often bemused by things I see and hear every single day, but almost never dazzled. To be dazzled is to lose one's vision, or perspective, or ability to think rationally - a very unhealthy thing to do as a steady diet. Attempts should be made to avoid blind bedazzlement. It's bad for the rest of us.
Finally, back to the original offending, as you say, question: who is to say we wouldn't find the puzzles of the universe twice as interesting and amusing, and bemusing, if we were twice as smart? Hopefully all the while being less prone to swallowing those absurd religious hooks, lines, and sinkers?
I am particularly unsympathetic towards those who have chosen to be bedazzled by the Mormon religion, because that is the one major "religion" whose genesis occurred entirely during modern recorded history. Joe Smith was a scam artist, a scheister, a grifter, and a lier; that story about the golden tablets he "found" in a field on New York state, covered in "Egyptian hieroglyphics" which only he, conveniently enough, ever saw is the basis of the Mormon religion. The whole story is a HUGE load of bullshit, and yet it is happily swallowed, er, excuse me, taken as "an article of faith" by the multitudes comprising the fastest growing religion on the planet!
And, as one of my friends said recently, "The only difference between the Mormon religion, and Christianity is time and place."
So with that, it is now permitted for those on this list who choose to act in the capacity of apologists for bible-thumping zealots everywhere to resume their chastisement of me for having dared to ask the offensive question. Twice.
--Doug
On Fri, Apr 6, 2012 at 10:39 AM, glen
<[hidden email]> wrote:
Sarbajit Roy wrote at 04/06/2012 06:36 AM:
> I would treat induction/deduction/abduction in an alternate formal manner.
> http://psivision.objectis.net/DeductionAbductionInduction
Thread successfully hijacked! ;-)
I think it's hilarious how we all want to _fix_ the semantic map and
that we fail to tolerate others' maps. I also think Nick, Doug, and
Bruce (and everyone else) are and will always be using different
definitions of the word "induction". And I actually think that's a
_good_ thing. Ambiguity is good. N-ary relations are good. Why are so
many of us so _proud_ that we are not dazzled by what others think?
What's wrong with basking in the idiocy, mediocrity, and brilliance of
the world around us? Where lies this impetus to either retreat into
little holes of cynicism or forcibly _remake_ reality to match our
fantasies?
Let's take this back to Doug's original offending question: whether a
two-fold increase in intelligence would lead to a reduction in religious
belief. Moron that I am, I am fascinated and dazzled by tales of magic,
extra terrestrial life, personal transformation, and mythology[*]. I.e.
the thoughts of others. These thoughts breathe life into what can
become a debilitating existence of fact-checking and pompous denigration
of others' semantic maps.
So, if I were to draw lines (which I won't lest I contradict myself ;-),
then you should count me on the side of the morons who prefer to be less
intelligent and continually bedazzled by the thoughts of others.
[*] Though I am thoroughly tired of vampires at this point. [sigh] I
used to love a good vampire story. I'm not sure what happened.
--
glen
============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
--
Doug Roberts
[hidden email][hidden email]505-455-7333 - Office
505-670-8195 - Cell
============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at
http://www.friam.org