The Meta-Golden Rule (was Me, Myself, and I)

From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Fri Apr 04 2003 - 21:13:55 MST


Cliff writes

> I seem to recall reading about a "meta golden rule" along the lines of
> "treat those beneath you as you would be treated by those above you".

The only reference I know of comes from Vernor Vinge's 1993 (I think)
essay:

http://meltingpot.fortunecity.com/kuwait/557/vinge2.html

where the fundamental idea is attributed to the English
philosopher I. J. Good. (He of the famed request to Queen
Elizabeth to be knighted, so that dignitaries could exclaim
at parties "Good Lord, here comes Lord Good!".)

While its original version stressed relations with aliens,
I have also referred to the meta-golden rule as "the logic
of cryonics", because one reason put forth by cryonics
organizations to resurrect the dead is that "we take care
of others the way we in turn wish to be taken care of when
our time comes."

Following this same logic, I have pushed the idea that
as you keep transcending you should always give your
earlier versions relatively generous amounts of run time.

Lee



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