Re: Plea (was ExI: Cognitive Extropians)
S.J. Van Sickle (sjvan@csd.uwm.edu)
Sun, 19 Jan 1997 09:42:37 +0000
> At 05:54 PM 1/17/97 -0800, Max More 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.
The danger and difficulty with "Don't let it bother you" is that it
is very easy to fool yourself into into to believing that is doesn't
bother you when it actually does. This can lead to no end of
trouble.
Steve Van Sickle