[FRIAM] Selective cultural processes generate adaptive heuristics

[Marcus Daniels]

Whether it is young Russian soldiers sent out to conquer Ukraine, or students held hostage to their advisor's whims, the possibility of breaking out of the conventional wisdom seems to require not acting in the best interest of some individuals.   Suspending disbelief to run an idea to ground is easiest to do when beliefs aren't yet well formed.   Moderation is for the generals and CEOs who decide who to sacrifice.    The problem with moderation as an individual is that you never really know anything.   Too busy judging the actions of other people from a distance.

-----Original Message-----
From: Friam <friam-bounces at redfish.com> On Behalf Of glen
Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2022 8:06 AM
To: friam at redfish.com
Subject: Re: [FRIAM] Selective cultural processes generate adaptive heuristics

I certainly hope I'm not winning you over, accidentally or otherwise. Your use of the word "fetish" is spot-on, in that such paraphilia is, ultimately, unhealthy <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_paraphilias> ... I guess barring the "everything in moderation" principle [⛧].

In fact, to be "won over" implies imprisonment, convicted to one's convictions. However, I also think it's unhealthy to, say, be so Luddite that you prefer "natural immunity" to vaccination ... or prefer your wood burning fireplace to natural gas heat ... or to demand to "talk to a person" rather than interacting with the phone tree. That hyper-traditionalism is *also* an unhealthy fetish and it's why, despite my conservatism, the neoreactionaries are so repulsive to me. As a conservative, I constantly find myself defending the Now against the fetishists of both the Yesterday and Tomorrow. Does that mean I have a Now fetish? Maybe. But it's more like a reaction to the non-Now fetishes around me.


[⛧] The interpretation of "everything in moderation" depends on where you put the parentheses. (Everything) (in moderation) implies you *should* do just a little bit of everything ... a little sky diving ... a little body modification ... a little Christianity ... a little crack cocaine, etc. But (Everything in moderation) implies that whatever it is you choose to do should be in moderation.

On 4/13/22 12:05, Steve Smith wrote:
> I think you are (accidentally?) winning me over to the post/trans-humanist fetish.   Just your talk of "play" and realizing how much I *already* play with automatons in the form of (see driving anecdotes) other drivers and roadway systems and (smart or dumb) traffic-lights, etc and bureaucracies.   I admit to always being taken in by (modern) science fiction stories with robot/android - human relationships... playing what might amount to a continuous, infinite game of Turing Test with them.   The same kind of "play" I currently engage in with dogs, cats, horses, watercourses, etc.   As a good animist, I can't see how I could reject the opportunity to "Play" with machine intelligences!
> 
> When I get a full-body prosthetic to make up for my slowly failing organic musculo-skeletal system, I will probably find great enjoyment in "playing" with it the way I currently "play" with my bicycle and other vehicles, testing (softly these days) their performance envelope and response modes.
> 
> Jump cut to Ridley in her  Space-Mining-Waldo-Exoskeleton  with or without an Alien opponent.
> 

-- 
Mɥǝu ǝlǝdɥɐuʇs ɟᴉƃɥʇ' ʇɥǝ ƃɹɐss snɟɟǝɹs˙


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