I’ve had a bone to pick with Yudkowski* ever since reading Three Worlds Collide. I haven’t gathered all of my thoughts yet, or put them in a proper essay, but since you asked, here’s a quick synopsis (paraphrasing Clausewitz).
I think people nowadays overestimate the value of human life. Generally speaking, we ain’t worth that much—and up until about four-hundred years ago, killing each other was our primary source of entertainment.
As long as we have individuals, conflict is inevitable; and a society where the conflict’s extremes have been narrowed down to nothing but sassy comments and politicking, well… that seems like a pretty boring place to live.
Speaking from experience, yelling at people solves a lot of problems. And I know a few individuals whom would be much less of a trainwreck if they’d been given the punch in the face they deserved. I think we’ve got no call to be judging the Baby Eaters for their biology—anymore than the Orgasmiums have for judging us. Misery can be just as much fun, if you approach it with the proper mindset, and I think HBO Rome does a brilliant job of describing a society with more reasonable standards. At the end of the day, it beats playing checkers, doesn’t it?
:-) Just look at our entertainment—we love a protagonist who suffers.
You may want to read some of the Romantics, if you haven’t already. Especially Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nietzsche, who don’t necessarily normally fall into that category.
I’ve had a bone to pick with Yudkowski* ever since reading Three Worlds Collide. I haven’t gathered all of my thoughts yet, or put them in a proper essay, but since you asked, here’s a quick synopsis (paraphrasing Clausewitz).
I think people nowadays overestimate the value of human life. Generally speaking, we ain’t worth that much—and up until about four-hundred years ago, killing each other was our primary source of entertainment.
As long as we have individuals, conflict is inevitable; and a society where the conflict’s extremes have been narrowed down to nothing but sassy comments and politicking, well… that seems like a pretty boring place to live.
Speaking from experience, yelling at people solves a lot of problems. And I know a few individuals whom would be much less of a trainwreck if they’d been given the punch in the face they deserved. I think we’ve got no call to be judging the Baby Eaters for their biology—anymore than the Orgasmiums have for judging us. Misery can be just as much fun, if you approach it with the proper mindset, and I think HBO Rome does a brilliant job of describing a society with more reasonable standards. At the end of the day, it beats playing checkers, doesn’t it?
:-) Just look at our entertainment—we love a protagonist who suffers.
*It’s a very small bone. A chicken bone, really.
To whom?
You may want to read some of the Romantics, if you haven’t already. Especially Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nietzsche, who don’t necessarily normally fall into that category.