[FRIAM] Everything she knows...

[glen∈ℂ]

On 4/16/19 11:52 PM, David West wrote:
> I am currently in Amsterdam - probably moving here for several years as two colleagues and I are starting a software development business.

I'm jealous! A friend of mine in Utrecht suggested we start an organization together.  But until Renee' finished school we were rooted here.

> While abandoning the institution of religion, the Dutch (who I am coming to know) remain religious in the sense that they still have a belief system. It is a syncretic 'religion' that seamlessly blends humanism, (mostly) Protestantism, and "sciencism." This religion has no dogma, no dictats, no fatwas. An anthropomorphized/personified God is far closer to metaphor than literal assertion. What remains is a shared 'sense' of how to interpret all that is about you and how to interact with each other.

This sounds similar to the way my Swedish client's 20-something kids and their crowd believe(d).  It felt much more like an ethical system than a religion. As usual, I spent more time with the kids than with the adults ... maybe because I'm so immature ... or maybe I'm a social vampire. But by the nature of my skeptical questioning, some of the kids reacted (defensively) as if some of the ideas were religious belief. But not very different from some of the near-religious beliefs in some technical circles (e.g. the Singularity and strong AI).  I also can't help but associate their blended philosophy with the free flow of Molly in their crowd.  That group flowed smoothly between art and tech, equally enthusiastic about microcontrollers and VR as they were about music and art installations. The drug seemed to facilitate the blending.

As I've watched them age and settle into life paths, the frenetic activity has waned, but the philosophy remains.