From: Ben Goertzel (ben@goertzel.org)
Date: Sat Jan 26 2002 - 07:59:19 MST
> Also,
> oftentimes
> people don't push themselves far enough into the realm of new
> experience as
> they claim or envision themselves doing. Because they are usually
> "embarassing" or are simply not mentioned, for example; changing
> subcultures,
> making yourself look really *really* weird once in a while (hundreds of
> people staring blankly at you can be enlightening), swimming on
> LSD, wearing
> clothes outside of the tiny spectrum of what is expected, using
> EP-Prime for
> a change instead of the usual English language, etc etc etc.
I have done all the things you mention many times, except for using
EP-Prime.
I must note, though, that doing things like taking massive amounts of drugs
and wearing weird clothes (or womens' clothes, or no clothes) were more
interesting
to me when I was in the age range 16-22 than they are at the moment.... Not
that
they offend me, but the urge rarely arises anymore.... As for "changing
subcultures,"
I have seen an awful lot of subcultures, from "common criminals & junkies"
to super-rich
Wall Street traders, rock musicians, used car dealers, scientists, artists,
etc. etc.
But these days I seem to mostly keep to my certain group of renaissance-geek
friends...
But I do obviously admit there are many aspects of human experience of which
I have not partaken.
I have never fought in a war. I have never climbed Everest, K2 or any
comparable peak.
I have never engaged in sexual acts with farm animals (in spite of having
lived in
New Zealand a while ;). I have been very poor and temporarily lacking
enough money to
eat, but I have never been literally homeless. I have never lost a limb....
I have never
injected heroin.... There are limits to what any one human can experience
during their
lifetime while still devoting themselves to art, science and family; and
there are some
experiences for which the danger outweighs the excitement and curiosity....
> Eliminate TV, magazines, Hollywood, concerts,
> sports, and
> newspapers from your life! They are devils!!
Well, y'know, I don't watch TV, I read few magazines, (Scientific American),
I'm bored by spectator sports... but you're not going to convince me to push
*music* out of my life to increase my effectiveness in working toward the
Singularity. Sorry...
> <<This doesn't mean I think that sex is worthless or morally wrong. I
> think sex is a great thing, for other people. >>
>
> Having sex just a few times was more than enough for me,
You mean *all total*, not per day, right???
Hey, I know some girls who might be able to change your mind about this....
-- Ben G
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