>From: Adrian Tymes <wingcat@pacbell.net>
>Reply-To: extropians@extropy.com
>To: extropians@extropy.com
>Subject: Re: Wingdahl's question: (Was) italian interest
>Date: Sat, 08 Jul 2000 11:12:45 -0700
>
>Waldemar Ingdahl wrote:
> > And really, as a businessman I am busy. Maybe I should take care more of
>my
> > store than with a quite technocratic movement that discusses bizarre
> > computers?
> >
> > So please explain to me why I should keep on being a transhumanist
>
>If you are looking for short term, "what do I do to change my life
>*right now*" type of answers, you might not find them here.
>Transhumanism will not be achieved overnight.
I might cut down on fat food. I might read some articles broadening my mind.
I might perhaps take a look on those concentration techniques. I might
understand that perhaps that banning on cloning isn't such a groovy thing
after all... (that's what it can do just thinking a few seconds)
>However, there are always points in your life where you can make
>long-term decisions. For instance, you are a businessman taking care of
>a store. What products do you sell? If you are interested in
>promoting the vision discussed here, perhaps you could add some of the
>types of products discussed here to your wares.
In my business, clothes retail and import globalization has been an extremly
important factor. With transhumanism in can better understand the
connections behind that complex process, even what it means for MY company,
and if this process will continue and even develope. I can perhaps start to
analyse future trends in fashion, given this given that. And let us not talk
about nanotechnology that completely eliminates most of the retail chain-
and makes me an information worker too. Gee, talk about new opportunities...
>For instance: if you sell computer goods, perhaps you could add
>Xybernaut's stuff to your lineup, to introduce more people to the
>concept. Ask here for ideas on the uses of augmented reality, so you
>can answer your customers when they ask why they would want to buy this
>gear. (And, en route, make money for yourself: the relative scarcity of
>people selling these goods may give you a near-monopoly, at least in the
>short term, for local supply. Your market has been created by legions
>of science fiction writers and others...but not that many have yet
>thought to actually serve it.)
Indeed, if I was in that business- but already the minor changes that I
suggested above for my business will have a lot of impact, and it's a
distinct advantage to be a step ahead.
>Mining for ideas is perhaps the best way you can take advantage of
>transhumanism.
And creating those ideas, which means creating the future. But I cannot do
that if transhumanism is incoherent, then I cannot see the practical
implications of principles, neither can I understand their morality.
Whether you are one yourself depends on your personal
>point of view - but there is a difference between being part of a group,
>and getting benefit out of using what the group supplies freely.
Thanks, this sounds a lot more practical and sensible than "leave the
movement";-)
Ciao
Waldemar
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