Changing ones mind

From: Robert J. Bradbury (bradbury@aeiveos.com)
Date: Thu Apr 03 2003 - 16:03:57 MST

  • Next message: Eliezer S. Yudkowsky: "Re: Changing ones mind"

    Ok, I'm going to bring up a topic and may get thrown
    back into the dust for doing so but here goes.

    Can anyone currently subscribed to the ExI list cite
    an actual example where due to the list discussion they
    "changed" their mind?

    Memes are selfish -- they presumably have self-preservation
    motivations and selection criteria. How in the blazes
    can anyone offering an opinion on the ExI list hope to
    "change" someone elses mind? Perhaps a way of looking
    at this is that *all* debate/discussion on the ExI list
    is completely futile -- i.e. it is *never* going to
    produce a productive result -- it violates the "perpetual
    progress", "self-transformation" and "practical optimism"
    principles from the get go -- in turn it violates the
    "rational thinking" and "self-direction" principles --
    why engage in arguments (discussions) that you have no
    hope of winning? [Key point being that winning requires
    people shifting meme-sets and they (the meme-sets) are
    going fight to the death to prevent that.] Are many
    of the list discussions taking place under principles
    of fantasy (i.e. that one can ever change another persons'
    "mind" -- e.g. in effect "execute" a meme-set they may have.)

    Should the list consider -- "Duh... It feels so good
    when I stop pounding my head against the wall."

    Robert



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