Re: disappointing responses

Steve Witham (sw@tiac.net)
Thu, 3 Apr 1997 01:40:09 -0400


Perry is somewhat disappointed that...

> many [...] extropian types don't seem to actively work
>towards their long term financial self interest, or their long term
>physical survival.

If you mean *at all*, that doesn't include me, so I can't speak to it.
If you mean *enough*, then define enough.
Else you're being vague--no wonder we're all yawning.

But I'll stay awake a little longer in case you'd like some hints:

>Years ago, when Tim May gave me the "if you're so smart, why aren't
>you rich" speech, I took him seriously, accepted without letting my
>ego get in the way that I'd been screwing up my finances for some
>time,

Sounds like Tim pointed out something that was actually an issue for
you in particular, at that particular time.

Since most people think that ego is one of the main motivations that
drives rich people, maybe you could explain how it can do the reverse.
Do you think others might have similar problems involving ego?

>would not have made any had I not recognised that a problem existed.

Perry, recognition like that that actually effects a person's life
is rare. Something made it possible for you to see your life differently.
Probably, you already saw your life differently from the way any of us
see our lives. If you think you have clues that would change our
lives, I'm all ears. Maybe Tim's mere badgering did it for you but that
isn't usually sufficient for most people.

>...wake up calls like the one "Anonymous" posted...

More like hickup calls. C'mon, Perry, we don't have all day to
spend on this crap either.

--Steve
p.s.
>However, I suppose I was expecting something more
>spirited than the kind of reply that one could readily have expected
>from Ayn Rand when defending her decision to keep chain smoking even
>though it was obviously killing her.

You mean she *wasn't* spirited about that!? Jerome Tuccile said she
called anyone who didn't approve of smoking "anti-life"! Certainly
that sort of absurdity gets credit for Rand-style spirit?
Funny, trying to imagine Rand giving a disspirited response
to a criticism ("Oh, well, I dunno..."?).

--
sw@tiac.net           Steve Witham          web page under reconsideration
"At the latter I was informal, at the former I wore my suit,
 I wore my swimming suit."  --Kate & Anna McGarrigle