[ExI] How Technology Hijacks People’s Minds

[spike]

From: extropy-chat [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of William Flynn Wallace
Sent: Monday, May 30, 2016 4:26 PM
To: ExI chat list <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Subject: Re: [ExI] How Technology Hijacks People’s Minds

 

>>…Doesn’t that seem odd that VIVR situations would be irresistible to some, distasteful to others and neutral to the rest?  Who are the normal ones?

spike

 

 

>…A few variables suggest themselves to me:  

 

>…security (salary far more secure; conservatives more motivated by fear,; probably many more 'types' here seeking security); … of that, but not big John - big time gamblers get all sorts of goodies from casinos)

 

>…I am sure my mind will think of more  bill w

 

 

Ja there are all these, but more still.  Winning at any kind of personal bet makes me feel I have caused pain to whoever lost.  Since I would be with friends, winning would cause me to hurt, so… I don’t do it.  My own bet with John Clark is not one I would have sought under any circumstances: it hurts me to cause hurt.  Were I a woman, I would make a terrible dominatrix.  My whips would be made of noodles, my chains of paper.  I would sooo get fired.

 

Odd angle on this: back when Robin Hanson gave us play money ideas futures, we had a blast with that.  I had so much fun, won a lot of “money” (almost all of it on predicting discovery intervals for Mersenne primes) and we just had a rollicking good time.  But when real money ideas futures showed up, I was disappointed, for I realized most of the participants would rather play real money ideas futures.  To this day, I have refused to play that game.  I get little pleasure in winning and none in losing.  None of this is explained by BillW’s list: I don’t fear loss, have no religion or superstitions, don’t have any security issues, wouldn’t miss a few bucks I might lose on PredictIt.  

 

Paradoxically, I loooove competition, even if it causes the loser to be disappointed.  Somehow if there is no money involved it just feels OK to me.  In a car race, every participant pays a ton of money just to play, and only one guy gets the checkered flag.  But that Indy500 is nothing but fun to me, love it.  I will even play poker, for funsies.  But I don’t like casino games.  Seems like a contradiction, ja?

 

spike 

 

 

 

 

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