From: Anders Sandberg (asa@nada.kth.se)
Date: Wed Jan 08 2003 - 02:34:58 MST
On Tue, Jan 07, 2003 at 10:54:41PM -0500, Nathanael Allison wrote:
>
> Creativity is the reason for all dominance of groups of humans. In
> military, in economics, in politics or any other form where humans compete
> creativity is the only reason one side wins over the other.
Hmm, what about Rome? Rome was hardly a cosmopolitian and creative place
until it already had an empire, and even the romans themselves
considered Greek culture far superior intellectually. Yet they
tenaciously conquered everything there was to conquer, long before they
became more advanced than the surrounding etruscean tribes.
Today dominance is more about creativity than raw force and
tenaciousness (although the later is important). That is because the
creative advantage is likely greater when you trade than when you fight.
And if dominance is defined as memetic superiority, then creativity is
obviously important. From that perspective the greeks conquered the
romans and the chinese the mongols.
> If you look at history, the societies who properties molded the most usable
> creative minds seem to have certain traits in common. Feel free to add or
> subtract from the list.
>
> 1. High Encouragement of Individuality
> 2. Little Social Exclusion
> 3. Shared Social Value Complexes
> 4. Almost No limits of Information
I think you have emphasized the best memeticists too much - creative
societies harness the creative power of the whole population. Most
people might not be very creative most of the time, but if you allow
that creativity to flourish and be expressed, and then have amplifying
institutions like free markets or public agoras it can still be selected
for.
> Speaking psychologically do these have an impact on creative thought? Does
> number 4 by itself cause creative thought?
According to my psychology readings, it is necessary for creativity, but
it does not cause it. If you are limited or pennalised for creativity
you will not express it (and in the long run think less creatively).
The shared values part is doubtful; it might be necessary to hold a
society together, but it seems that more creolized and diverse societies
produce more creative thought than homogeneous societies. This fits in
with 2.
In Gert Hofstede's terms, high power distance and uncertainty avoidance
impairs creativity. Individualism likely supports creativity, and also
correlates with GDP.
However, cause and effect in this field are complex. See
http://www.cchla.ufpb.br/pospsi/autores/valdiney/the_hofstede_and_schwartz_models.htm
for an interesting study and discussion.
-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension! asa@nada.kth.se http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/ GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y
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