[FRIAM] the power of metaphor.

[thompnickson2 at gmail.com]

Well, I hate to shortcut a perfectly good argument, but I think, now, we
agree.  If you concede that empathy is a form of perception whose value as
information cannot be denied, I can readily agree that so focusing on one's
empathy as to avoid all other sources of information is dangerous and stupid
and cloying.  

 

Nick 

 

Nicholas Thompson

Emeritus Professor of Ethology and Psychology

Clark University

 <mailto:ThompNickSon2 at gmail.com> ThompNickSon2 at gmail.com

 <https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/>
https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/

 

 

From: Friam <friam-bounces at redfish.com> On Behalf Of Marcus Daniels
Sent: Thursday, January 7, 2021 11:39 AM
To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group <friam at redfish.com>
Subject: Re: [FRIAM] the power of metaphor.

 

Sure, I use my eyes and visual cortex to judge the speed of an oncoming car.
But I shouldn't model that last fractions of a second before impact in
luxurious detail.  That's suicidal.  I should step on the brakes or the gas
to avoid the collision.   That's what all this empathy talk strikes me as -
giving dangerous people so many mental cycles that they do collide into you.
Wringing ones hands before victimization is complete.  No, take the mental
cycles and develop some tactics and strategy for preventing these people
from being dangerous.   

 

I only mention Ted Cruz because he seems a slightly interesting person, in a
sort of satanic way.   Most of the others are mad dogs as far as I am
concerned.

 

From: Friam <friam-bounces at redfish.com <mailto:friam-bounces at redfish.com> >
On Behalf Of thompnickson2 at gmail.com <mailto:thompnickson2 at gmail.com> 
Sent: Thursday, January 7, 2021 9:30 AM
To: 'The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group' <friam at redfish.com
<mailto:friam at redfish.com> >
Subject: Re: [FRIAM] the power of metaphor.

 

Marcus, 

 

You could not have written what you wrote here, with it's searing
pointedness, without empathy.  Empathy is not an ideology; is an organ of
perception.  

 

n

 

Nicholas Thompson

Emeritus Professor of Ethology and Psychology

Clark University

ThompNickSon2 at gmail.com <mailto:ThompNickSon2 at gmail.com> 

https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/

 

 

 

From: Friam <friam-bounces at redfish.com <mailto:friam-bounces at redfish.com> >
On Behalf Of Marcus Daniels
Sent: Thursday, January 7, 2021 11:05 AM
To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group <friam at redfish.com
<mailto:friam at redfish.com> >
Subject: Re: [FRIAM] the power of metaphor.

 

The prior reflections by Glen on young adulthood makes me wonder about
Ted's.   Was there a particular point at which he decided to be a public
person and that he realized he could find an angle in any situation?   Did
he anticipate what his life would become, or did he just fall into it?
Sometimes it seems like he doesn't even enjoy it.   It seems there is no
objective distance he gets from his nihilism.  There's just always the next
thing he has to do.

 

From: Friam <friam-bounces at redfish.com <mailto:friam-bounces at redfish.com> >
On Behalf Of thompnickson2 at gmail.com <mailto:thompnickson2 at gmail.com> 
Sent: Thursday, January 7, 2021 8:53 AM
To: 'The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group' <friam at redfish.com
<mailto:friam at redfish.com> >
Subject: [FRIAM] the power of metaphor.

 

Bret Stephens, a NYT columnist, described Ted Cruz as "a serpent covered in
Vaseline" .  Will I ever get that image out of my head?

 

Nick

 

Nicholas Thompson

Emeritus Professor of Ethology and Psychology

Clark University

ThompNickSon2 at gmail.com <mailto:ThompNickSon2 at gmail.com> 

https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/

 

 

 

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