[extropy-chat] A vignette on incongruent points of view

[Robin Hanson]

At 02:40 PM 11/8/2006, Jef Allbright wrote:
>Two friends went to the ocean and later talked about their day.  The 
>first man talked about the wonderful feeling of the wind and the 
>spray, exploring the fascinating tide pools, sea life and shells, 
>and how he felt great joy in the experience bringing him such a 
>feeling of being alive.  He'd felt a bit concerned though, that his 
>friend seemed almost as if he wasn't even there.  The second man 
>replied that he had reveled in the experience; that it stimulated 
>thoughts of  the power and immensity of the ocean in ironic contrast 
>to the puny conceits of humankind, the realization that this great 
>body of water both separated and connected the various peoples of 
>the world, and how it provided the catalyst not only for biological 
>life, but for the growth of culture and commerce.  The first man 
>thought "wtf?" and felt great pity for his friend.
>Is it possible to bridge such a gap in understanding of each other's 
>point of view?
>Is there some way to show the the second man that he's living only a 
>shallow imitation of a life?
>Oops, I meant the first man.

Why should how we feel or what we think about be determined by where 
we are?   Why shouldn't two friends at the same place at the same 
time not think about different topics with different goals, if they 
have different personalities and backgrounds?  You don't have to be 
the same as me to be my friend.



Robin Hanson  rhanson at gmu.edu  http://hanson.gmu.edu
Associate Professor of Economics, George Mason University
MSN 1D3, Carow Hall, Fairfax VA 22030-4444
703-993-2326  FAX: 703-993-2323