[extropy-chat] Desirability of Happiness, Etc.

[Lee Corbin]

Jef writes

> I was seeking understanding (possibly agreement) on these two 
> points with the hope that the discussion could move on to more 
> interesting issues such as mitigating the effects of those 
> evolved systems which impair performance; using "positive" 
> reward gradients as motivation rather than the absolute bipolar 
> happiness/suffering scheme you referred to;

You wish to mitigate the effects of our evolved systems that
impair performance.  Sounds fine to me.  Yes, use of "positive"
reward gradients---I guess I know what that means, though I'm
not totally sure---sounds agreeable.

What reward gradients beyond pain and pleasure did you have
in mind?  Joy, contentment, satisfaction, ecstasy, fulfillment?

> possibly some comparison between the use of positive gradients
> and the idea of positive-sum social decision-making contrasted
> with the idea of politics as competition over scarcity;

Gee, sorry to be such a simpleton, but is it necessary to 
write in such a complicated way. Well, yes, I understand
that you are just outlining what you'd like to talk about;
but *communication* is so difficult, that it really pays
to KISS.

Go ahead an elaborate on that, if you'd like.

> and possibly some discussion of the implications and
> consequences of acting on your recent statement that
> you'd like to be thousands of miles away with only
> people you trust. 

I was speaking of circumstances in which one aberrant 
individual has the ability to kill many thousands of
local sentients. In lieu of the Transparent Society,
I don't know of any other solution.

Lee