Re: Plea (was ExI: Cognitive Extropians)

Max More (maxmore@primenet.com)
Sat, 18 Jan 1997 20:24:12 -0700 (MST)


At 05:54 PM 1/17/97 -0800, you wrote:
>
>Perhaps "postponing judgment" is one useful technique for dealing with
>emotional interference upon reason. I must agree that if nothing else,
>emotions can occupy the mind's time, or encourage thoughtless action, and
>so interfere with reason in that sense. But wouldn't it be good, perhaps
>even better, to develop techniques that eliminate the interference in the
>first place? Isn't it just as easy to learn "Don't let it bother you"
>as to learn "Don't do that while you're upset."?

It seems we're close to agreement. I don't know that I can talk for
everyone, but my sense is that in general it's easier to learn "Don't do
that while you're upset." than it is "Don't let it bother you". However, I'm
with you on the deeper point: Although I think the latter may be more
difficult, certainly it's more rewarding. Once you've achieved a high level
of control over your thinking and the feeling it produces, you don't have to
battle with yourself everytime someone says something potentially upsetting.

Max

Max More, Ph.D.
more@extropy.org
http://www.primenet.com/~maxmore
President, Extropy Institute, Editor, Extropy
info-exi@extropy.org, http://www.extropy.org
(310) 398-0375