Re: Psychadelic and other Garbage on Extropians

Forrest Bishop (forrestb@ix.netcom.com)
Wed, 23 Jul 1997 04:38:34 -0500 (CDT)


Curt Adams wrote:
>>I agree the drek content has gone way up. I think some of this comes
>>from
>>the Extropian commitment to dynamic "optimism".
>>

Forrest Bishop:
>>[[Yes, this is one of the Extropian tenents I disagree with. Wishful
>>thinking has to be clearly distinguished from critical thinking.]]

Curt Adams:
>> A positive attitude towards problems is handy; but it's very possible
>>to be too enthusiastic about ideas or possibilities and ignore reality.

Max More:
>Forrest: Have you read my Dynamic Optimism essay? Your comments suggest
>that you haven't. The whole *point* of D.O. as distinguished from other
>forms of optimism is its critical attitude. Being dynamically optimistic is
>incompatible with ignoring reality. Critical thinking has always formed a
>core part of being extropian.
>
>Once you understand the difference between dynamic optimism and wishful
>thinking, do you still disagree with D.O.? If so, what exactly do you
>disagree with?

Yes, I read it a couple years ago. Maybe
choose a more descriptive name, like "Realistic Optimism" or such.
Unfortunately, it is not perceived as more than wishful thinking
by those who have not read a definition, Gary Stix for example. His
infamous *Scientific American* report "Nanotechnology: Waiting for the
Breakthroughs" (April, 1996) contains wording to the effect that "..the
dynamic optimism school of technological forecasting..." which I am fairly
sure he got from the Extro site.
The central thing I find disagreeable is others telling me how and what to
think, yourself included.

>Thanks,
>
>Max

Sure, any time.

Forrest Bishop
Benefactor,
Extropy Institute
among other things