[ExI] abandon all body language {8-]

[spike]

> bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Stefano Vaj
> Subject: Re: [ExI] Abandon all services
> 
> On Nov 10, 2007 3:07 AM, spike <spike66 at att.net> wrote:

> > Explain please.  What problems do Japanese girls have in the US?
...
> 
> ... the body language
> which in Japan is considered to mean "leave me alone" (to recoil
> slightly, lowering your chin, smiling and staring at the other party)
> is reasonably interpreted as...  inviting in many western countries,
> which would seem to rise quite many opportunities for cultural
> misunderstandings... :-)... Stefano Vaj



Oh, OK cool, thanks Vaj.  I have never been worth a damn at reading people's
body language.  That's why I play chess instead of poker.  In spite of being
good at mentally calculating probabilities, I am an abysmal suckster at
sensing normal human people's intentions.  I am totally non-blackberry at
that skill.  It is almost like having negative ESP, or finding oneself at a
convention of ESP-havers when one possesses only the traditional five
senses.  Most uncomfortable.  When someone at a party proposes a poker
match, as soon as the first card is dealt, I hand over all my chips and
throw off my clothes, just to save time.  The guests are puzzled and amused
by this behavior.  Or so I am told.  I am beginning to suspect that they
bring the poker cards just to witness my reaction. 

In a weak attempt to compensate for this tone-deafness to others' thoughts
and intentions, I listen carefully to what people actually say.  As any
normal person can easily guess, this usually leads to trouble and
misunderstanding, being as normal people seldom actually say what they
really mean.  This characteristic of humans is found in every culture and
language across the globe.  Perhaps this is why I am more comfortable and
effective in Second Life than in... what is here called?  First Life?

This technique of listening to peoples' actual words fails even worse in
situations that rely heavily upon nonverbal communications.  I have managed
to master a few of the nonverbal cues, but I confess to understanding only
the most broad and general ones.  For instance as when a young lady shrieks
and flees in terror, this is a bad thing.  If she goes for her pepper spray,
this is also a bad thing.  If she uses it on me, this is worse.

This has led me to certain insights that others do not have however.  For
instance, few are aware of the wide variation in the effectiveness of the
different brands of sprays, in both debilitating power and in flavor.  I
should do an article for Consumer Reports, from the unique perspective of
the actual "consumer" of the product.

To conclude this line of thought is my observation that there are two major
differences between here and Second Life.  In Second Life, one can fly
without the aid of mechanical devices.  And they don't even have pepper
spray there.

spike