[extropy-chat] C 101 Meta

[Natasha Vita-More]

At 10:39 AM 3/5/2006, Keith wrote:


> >It does look like the Extropy Institute has avoided becoming a cult
> >(perhaps because Max extracted himself as the figurehead) but it remains
> >an open question in my mind as to whether "The Singularity Institute" will
> >be as successful.

This is insightful.  Max got so much press and was really in the spot light 
as well as public hot seat, he was love by many and envied by some.  People 
either thought he was a hero or they thought he was someone they had to 
climb on the shoulders of and then kick down and out of the way.

> >Sounds to me like ExI is turning into a bunch of "moderates" who, as Sam
> >Harris points out, refuse to confront the flaws in the foundations that
> >the world around them is built upon.  If we can't engage in "freedom of
> >communication" and accept both "innovation" ( e.g. "new" cults) which
> >promote "questioning" and subequent "learning" then what really is the
> >point of being here?

No, I think that list members are just tired of cult talks and that's what 
much of the complaints were about a few weeks ago. It might be more 
opportune to talk about "new" myths rather than new cults.  Just a thought.

Natasha

<http://www.natasha.cc/>Natasha <http://www.natasha.cc/>Vita-More
Cultural Strategist - Designer
Future Studies, University of Houston
President, <http://www.extropy.org/>Extropy Institute
Member, <http://www.profuturists.com/>Association of Professional Futurists
Founder, <http://www.transhumanist.biz/>Transhumanist Arts & Culture

If you draw a circle in the sand and study only what's inside the circle, 
then that is a closed-system perspective. If you study what is inside the 
circle and everything outside the circle, then that is an open system 
perspective. - Buckminster Fuller


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