Re: some U.S. observations and notes

From: Kai Becker (kmb@kai-m-becker.de)
Date: Sat Dec 29 2001 - 10:06:45 MST


Am Freitag, 28. Dezember 2001 22:05 schrieb James Rogers:
> On 12/28/01 12:48 PM, "Kai Becker" <kmb@kai-m-becker.de> wrote:
> > Once again: I am terrible afraid when I know that people around have
> > weapons.
> This is not supported by the statistics, and is therefore irrational.
[...]
> Your feeling is irrelevant.

*g* My feeling is irrational, correct, but it is not irrelevant, because it
has great influence on my actions. We all act more on feelings than on
rational thinking - although we are good in finding rational justifications
for our feelings.

 - People buy guns because they feel unsafe, even if statistics show that
most of them will never be victims of a violent crime - "just in case...".
 - People believe in religions because they feel alone without and
"empowered" with it, even if history provides no proven evidence for their
beliefs - "just in case...".
 - People believe in cryonics and such because they fear to die, even if
there's no evidence that they can reawake with their mind undamaged - "just
in case...".
 - People believe in transhumanism to find comfort in the fiction of a
better tomorrow, even if there is no rational basis for their theories -
"just in case..."
 - etc.

Individual acting is mostly based on feelings. Buying decisisons are based
on feelings. Stock trading is based on feelings. Elections are based on
feelings. Politicians act on feelings. Scientists are motivated by
feelings. We better take feelings into account, make them measurable and
visible, when we talk about the future. Hey, you don't feel scared about
feelings, do you? :-)

   Kai

-- 
== Kai M. Becker == kmb@kai-m-becker.de == Bremen, Germany ==
"Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced"



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