[extropy-chat] Embracing change

[Hal Finney]

It seems to me that one of the most universal human characteristics
is fear or dislike of change.  This manifests itself in so many
ways throughout the world.  At a simple level, I'm sure all of us
have been involved in online or virtual communities and activities
where a change to the interface is made.  Almost always, the initial
reaction is negative.  People see many flaws in the new interface
when they compare it with the one they are used to.  After a while,
though, they get used to the new one, and then they are happy with it.
I'm sure that everyone involved in publishing, paper and online, must be
familiar with the phenomenon.  I saw an article last week pointed to by
slashdot, http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20041103/bartle_01.shtml ,
about how this opposition to change is harming the development of online
multiplayer games.

Of course this is a trivial example.  Another one just hit home yesterday,
when it was announced that the state is thinking of selling our local
fairground so it can be used for condos or a hotel, which would be the
"highest and best use" of the property.  Readers are invited to write
into the newspaper about their reactions.  Well, I know already that 95%
of the letters are going to be negative.  People hate this kind of change.
Even though the fairgrounds are only used for fair-type events a few
times a year and are idle or used for weekend sales events the rest of
the year, everyone is going to be horrified at the suggestion that the
aging structures be torn down.  All they will think about is what they
would lose, not what people would gain by having a nice new facility
which many more people could enjoy.

A more important example we have discussed is the so-called
Precautionary Principle which demands that technological change be
put under a microscope and only be allowed to proceed if people are
satisfied that it is beneficial.  Not only is this a manifestation of
people's discomfort with change (for the status quo is the default),
but further we can predict that people's inherent suspicion of change
is going to bias any such analysis towards rejecting the new.

Another case is what we have been talking about recently, changes due
to new trading patterns such as outsourcing.  The instinctive response
is to oppose change and fight to preserve things the way they are.

Global warming is another example.  99% of the articles about it talk
about problems.  And indeed, maybe it is true that the problems will
outweigh the benefits.  But I don't think it is going to be as one-sided
as the media suggests.  This week there was a new study about the northern
ice cap shrinking, http://www.amap.no/acia/index.html .  Some of the
publicity mentioned the economic benefits from opening up the legendary
Northwest Passage which could greatly reduce shipping time and costs.
But most of the press was about the costs to the indigenous peoples whose
permafrost was melting and whose land was being eroded by new wave action,
along with animals having trouble adapting to the new conditions.

While these negative effects should not be neglected, the positives have
to be considered as well.  You will never see a mainstream article about
benefits of global warming which does not mention negatives; but you have
seen many which talk about harm without saying anything about benefits.
This further illustrates the inherent negative bias towards change.

To some extent it is rational to be concerned about change, as it can
be costly.  There is always infrastructure in place which has adapted to
present circumstances, and any change will require that infrastructure to
be reconfigured, which may be very expensive.  Moving Miami to another
state if sea levels rise isn't going to be cheap.

Yet I see one of the main messages of the Principles of Extropy as
emphasizing the positive aspects of change.  Throughout the Principles
this sems to be an underlying element.  Intelligent Technology, Self
Transformation, Perpetual Progress, Practical Optimism, all describe
the benefits of accepting, adapting to and indeed, embracing change.

Extropian philosophy is an excellent antidote to the near-universal human
tendency to fear and oppose change.  Even when change is uncomfortable,
the Principles advise us to find ways to look at the opportunities rather
than to dwell on the difficulties we face.

Extropianism may not be for everyone.  There may always be only a
small minority of people who are eager to embrace change along the
lines suggested in the Principles of Extropy.  But I hope that we on
this list, who hopefully share broad agreement with these Principles,
can try to free ourselves from the mindset of change as a negative.

We should be looking forward to change, finding ways to structure our
lives and our mental attitudes to embrace flexibility and adaptability.
It's not always easy, but I believe that this kind of approach will be
crucial to allow us to adapt to and take advantage of the even greater
changes which will be coming in future decades.

Hal