Principia Discordia > Aneristic Illusions
The upside of down
LHX:
--- Quote from: SillyCybin on January 10, 2007, 03:50:28 pm ---
--- Quote from: Jenne on January 10, 2007, 03:34:58 pm ---
--- Quote from: Bhode_Sativa on January 09, 2007, 11:03:10 am ---I heard this guy speak on NPR and he sounded intelligent, and the things he talked about seem to have relevance to the questions of "What are we doing? Where are we going?" His new book, The Upside of Down, talks about societal stresses that impact the future of civilization. I'm going to get a copy today when the stores open. I've read the prologue which can be found here: http://www.theupsideofdown.com/pdf/theupsideofdown-prologue.pdf and he makes a lot of sense, especially in his comparison of the Roman Empire's collapse with America's current situation.
--- End quote ---
That seems a popular theme these days, comparison of the fall of the US Empire to the fall of Rome... *wonders when the HBO special will be out*
--- End quote ---
Falling is the final stage in the product lifecycle of any empire. Ironic that imperialists can't seem to get their heads around this with the wealth of historical data out there. Everything in nature dies and rots, even societies.
--- End quote ---
which begs the question: why is everybody/everything constantly on the run trying to avoid this?
it makes so much more sense to move toward it with as much tact as possible
P3nT4gR4m:
--- Quote from: LHX on January 10, 2007, 04:07:39 pm ---
--- Quote from: SillyCybin on January 10, 2007, 03:50:28 pm ---
--- Quote from: Jenne on January 10, 2007, 03:34:58 pm ---
--- Quote from: Bhode_Sativa on January 09, 2007, 11:03:10 am ---I heard this guy speak on NPR and he sounded intelligent, and the things he talked about seem to have relevance to the questions of "What are we doing? Where are we going?" His new book, The Upside of Down, talks about societal stresses that impact the future of civilization. I'm going to get a copy today when the stores open. I've read the prologue which can be found here: http://www.theupsideofdown.com/pdf/theupsideofdown-prologue.pdf and he makes a lot of sense, especially in his comparison of the Roman Empire's collapse with America's current situation.
--- End quote ---
That seems a popular theme these days, comparison of the fall of the US Empire to the fall of Rome... *wonders when the HBO special will be out*
--- End quote ---
Falling is the final stage in the product lifecycle of any empire. Ironic that imperialists can't seem to get their heads around this with the wealth of historical data out there. Everything in nature dies and rots, even societies.
--- End quote ---
which begs the question: why is everybody/everything constantly on the run trying to avoid this?
it makes so much more sense to move toward it with as much tact as possible
--- End quote ---
Tact my left asscheek! Break out the dynamite and watch the pretty lights.
B_M_W:
--- Quote from: LHX on January 10, 2007, 04:07:39 pm ---
--- Quote from: SillyCybin on January 10, 2007, 03:50:28 pm ---
--- Quote from: Jenne on January 10, 2007, 03:34:58 pm ---
--- Quote from: Bhode_Sativa on January 09, 2007, 11:03:10 am ---I heard this guy speak on NPR and he sounded intelligent, and the things he talked about seem to have relevance to the questions of "What are we doing? Where are we going?" His new book, The Upside of Down, talks about societal stresses that impact the future of civilization. I'm going to get a copy today when the stores open. I've read the prologue which can be found here: http://www.theupsideofdown.com/pdf/theupsideofdown-prologue.pdf and he makes a lot of sense, especially in his comparison of the Roman Empire's collapse with America's current situation.
--- End quote ---
That seems a popular theme these days, comparison of the fall of the US Empire to the fall of Rome... *wonders when the HBO special will be out*
--- End quote ---
Falling is the final stage in the product lifecycle of any empire. Ironic that imperialists can't seem to get their heads around this with the wealth of historical data out there. Everything in nature dies and rots, even societies.
--- End quote ---
which begs the question: why is everybody/everything constantly on the run trying to avoid this?
it makes so much more sense to move toward it with as much tact as possible
--- End quote ---
To survive, biological programming has to put emphasis on processes that avoid loss of metabolism (read death). In post sentience evolution, this has changed from a merely physiological condition to a psychological one as well. And fear of death has moved from "fear of self dying" to "fear of assets 'dying'".
Along with this programming, you get physiological processes that promote security, just as there are physiological processes that seek security. The mind seeks a dynamic equilibrium just as the body does. Such processes need to, by nature, resist large amounts of change. From a physiological side, this is nessesary to keep the organism's metabolism functioning. Extremes of input: too much sodium, too little calcium, etc, are rectified by buffers, storages, and mechanisms. Thus the physiology resists change, promotes security.
In post sentience evolution, the psychology has followed in trend. It resists change, and promotes security. But just because it does, doesn't mean it works well enough anymore. There are no right or wrongs in biology; whatever has worked well enough has made it this far. So, essentially, if something doesn't work well enough, if the mechanisms in our psychology are flawed for the level of evolution on which we are travelling, then it is up to us to rectify that. If psychological "fear of death" does not suit the environment we are living in, then we should try to change that in ourselves. If psychological mechanisms that exist that resist change, that promote security, no longer suit the situation, then we should try to change those.
The question is, do we still have need of them,
or no?
Jenne:
Your response seems tied to that other thread over there, BMW (points to where the "fear" discussion is), but ITA w/it. So, *shrug*...do we indeed? I often wonder.
LHX:
--- Quote from: SillyCybin on January 10, 2007, 04:26:02 pm ---Tact my left asscheek! Break out the dynamite and watch the pretty lights.
--- End quote ---
that isnt tact?
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