[extropy-chat] Interesting comment on a blog

[Thomas]

Jef Allbright wrote:

>Giu1i0 Pri5c0 wrote:
>  
>
>>What I found interesting and worth reporting is the last 
>>sentence, which may sadly be correct:
>>"If we can not handle people who look a little bit different 
>>from us, ir decorate their bodies a little bit differently, 
>>how will we handle people who look nothing like us, or do not 
>>have human bodies at all? It is no accident, I think, that in 
>>the Matrix, is is the humans, not the machines, who 
>>(literally) throw the first stone."
>>    
>>
>
>Actually, in regard to the kind of innate tendency to feel repulsion
>which you mention here, the feeling is strongest when the difference is
>slight and close to home.  It is much easier to accept that strange
>people (or machines) do strange things when such events are at the
>fringes of our sphere of moral self-identification. 
>
>A practical aspect of this is that we are challenged to overcome such
>prejudices only to the extent that we interact outside that self-defined
>sphere.
>
>- Jef
>
According to Micheal Flynn the human brain at this point is hard wired 
for interpersonal relations with only 80 to 100 people (a small tribe). 
 Cultural constrains aside, it's natural for us to share with and care 
for our tribe member.  It's also natural to rob, kill and enslave non 
members.  That's why there's such a demand for hypocrisy (diplomacy) in 
a global society.  I'm thinking that tinkering with that wiring might 
help us get past some neuroses.  -- Thomas
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