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At 10:39 AM 3/5/2006, Keith wrote:<br><br>
<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">>It does look like the
Extropy Institute has avoided becoming a cult <br>
>(perhaps because Max extracted himself as the figurehead) but it
remains <br>
>an open question in my mind as to whether "The Singularity
Institute" will <br>
>be as successful.</blockquote><br>
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.<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">>Sounds to me like ExI is
turning into a bunch of "moderates" who, as Sam <br>
>Harris points out, refuse to confront the flaws in the foundations
that <br>
>the world around them is built upon. If we can't engage in
"freedom of <br>
>communication" and accept both "innovation" ( e.g.
"new" cults) which <br>
>promote "questioning" and subequent "learning"
then what really is the <br>
>point of being here?</blockquote><br>
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.<br><br>
Natasha<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<dl>
<dd><font size=2><a href="http://www.natasha.cc/">Natasha
</a><a href="http://www.natasha.cc/">Vita-More</a>
<dd>Cultural Strategist - Designer
<dd>Future Studies, University of Houston
<dd>President, <a href="http://www.extropy.org/">Extropy Institute</a>
<dd>Member, <a href="http://www.profuturists.com/">Association of
Professional Futurists</a>
<dd>Founder, <a href="http://www.transhumanist.biz/">Transhumanist Arts
& Culture</a> <br><br>
</font>
<dd><font face="Times New Roman, Times"><i>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. -
</i>Buckminster Fuller<br>
<br><br></font>
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