Explaining the BIP to normal people

[P3nT4gR4m]

It's not bad.

I just don't want to be in prison.

Tough shit.


But if it will make you all feel warm and snuggly inside your cells, I guess I can try to write something a little more, y'know, happy.

So you'd prefer I feel all depressed and miserable inside my cell? Then I guess you want to see me try to break out ... and so I do ... and I'm in a bigger cell ... and this makes me depressed and so I break out some more?

I made this cell, just the way I like it. Now i wanna drink some beer and watch a rerun of fawlty towers. Yeah I feel warm and snuggly. Feeling warm and snuggly is not a crime. That's why I'm not in jail.

[AFK]

Jesus Christ, I'm about to have a TGRR gutblowout ITT. 

[Cramulus]

Again, from my perspective, I say you aren't trapped.  Refer to my post a few posts ago.  "The limits are not limits, thus, the prison is not a prison."

just to be clear, I totally agree with the content.

But the symbolism goes like this then-

• reality is a prison
• prisons are not prisons

So why do we call it a prison to begin with?

[LMNO]

Let's put it this way:

If you agree that your perceptions of reality are at least someowhat slightly yours to control;

And if your agree with the underlying message of PIP;

Why then are you so concerned with the overlying metaphor of the BIP, if you agree with what it stands for?


Why don't you simply adjust your perceptions to see that the BIP is not a negative, and it's a very useful, simple metaphor for your current biological and psychological limitations?

[P3nT4gR4m]

Let's put it this way:

If you agree that your perceptions of reality are at least someowhat slightly yours to control;

And if your agree with the underlying message of PIP;

Why then are you so concerned with the overlying metaphor of the BIP, if you agree with what it stands for?


Why don't you simply adjust your perceptions to see that the BIP is not a negative, and it's a very useful, simple metaphor for your current biological and psychological limitations?

I get it man, srlsy I totally do. I'd even go so far as to say I've come to love the BIP metaphor. The context in which we are criticising it, though, is that of someone who doesn't get it. "normal people"

The argument is that "normal people" would be more inclined to pay attention to a positive spin than a negative one and I suspect both me and you would agree that the BIP concept can be given either. The words "Black" and "Prison" are negative connotations. You're right, once you understand it they cease to be so but we're talking about people who don't understand it.

[AFK]

Speaking from my perspective,

Prison is all about potential.  

It's about the potential for people to imprison themselves based on their individual set of bars.  For some, expectations from parents, family, society, etc., can imprison them in a cell that has them in a job they hate, or in a relationship they hate, or in a course of study that they hate.  They do it because they think they have to, because it's "the way."

Others, can recognize this and see that their cell door can swing open, allowing them to visit other cells.  But you can't escape reality, it's impossible.  We are confined by reality.  That's just the way it is.  However, that doesn't have to be a negative.  Because you can understand it and realize that you can never really experience it all anyway.  So by definition we are confined to reality, but from the perspective of experience, we will never see the walls that make up those limits.  

[AFK]

Let's put it this way:

If you agree that your perceptions of reality are at least someowhat slightly yours to control;

And if your agree with the underlying message of PIP;

Why then are you so concerned with the overlying metaphor of the BIP, if you agree with what it stands for?


Why don't you simply adjust your perceptions to see that the BIP is not a negative, and it's a very useful, simple metaphor for your current biological and psychological limitations?

I get it man, srlsy I totally do. I'd even go so far as to say I've come to love the BIP metaphor. The context in which we are criticising it, though, is that of someone who doesn't get it. "normal people"

The argument is that "normal people" would be more inclined to pay attention to a positive spin than a negative one and I suspect both me and you would agree that the BIP concept can be given either. The words "Black" and "Prison" can have negative connotations. You're right, once you understand it they cease to be so but we're talking about people who don't understand it.

fixed for accuracy.

Further, people who judge a book by its cover should stick to their TIVOed American Idol episodes.

[Cramulus]

I'm in the camp which believes that the packaging of these ideas is very important. The name we use is important. Are we in agreement there?

because people's decisions about whether or not they want to keep reading are made in the first fifteen seconds. Judging from my own first impression and the reactions of other people who have posted, the bleakness seems to be turning some people away. This is different from "getting it" or not.


Person 1: Did you see The Matrix?
Person 2: yeah, it was over-the-top shite
Person 1: But did you get the message? Reality is a simulation!
Person 2: sure. But it was still shite. I mean, Neo flies away at the end?!

[LMNO]

Person 2 obviously doesn't care about the message.



When you can figure out how to get a stranger to switch from not caring to caring, let me know, and we'll make millions.

[Cain]

Advertising.

[Cramulus]

"Packaging"

[LMNO]

So, Steve Jackson had it right, huh?

[Cramulus]

well we hates him, so clearly not

but I bet he's "converted" more people than Thornley.

[AFK]

I'm in the camp which believes that the packaging of these ideas is very important. The name we use is important. Are we in agreement there?

because people's decisions about whether or not they want to keep reading are made in the first fifteen seconds. Judging from my own first impression and the reactions of other people who have posted, the bleakness seems to be turning some people away. This is different from "getting it" or not.


Person 1: Did you see The Matrix?
Person 2: yeah, it was over-the-top shite
Person 1: But did you get the message? Reality is a simulation!
Person 2: sure. But it was still shite. I mean, Neo flies away at the end?!

Person 2 is obviously one of those folks who just "skim the surface" as I've referenced in earlier discussions.  Do we really care whether or not this type of person gets reached?  I don't.  I'd much rather focus on someone who will read the title, look at the cover, and then read the damned thing.  The writings in the pamphlet cut to the chase.  There are no lasers and special effects to distract from the message.  there are no corny puns and/or jokes to distract from the messages.  

So I guess the bottom line is, if you really don't like the packaging, repackage it.  Seriously.  we all know who is kopyleft and who isn't.  Make a new pamphlet, or, retitle the BIP as GSP or whatever you want, and start handing it out.  If you want to target a different audience, target a different audience.  

The only thing stopping you is your own ambition.  

[AFK]

well we hates him, so clearly not

but I bet he's "converted" more people than Thornley.

Yeah, why don't you go visit the SJG forum and see how many people he's converted to Discordianism.