[ExI] FW: How fun could doom intelligent life to a blissful extinction

[efc at swisscows.email]

Hello spike, will write a separate response directly to your email with
a personal greeting.

On Thu, 20 Jul 2023, spike at rainier66.com wrote:

>> ...I agree, that sounds very reasonable. I also wonder if there is some
> kind of correlation between high intelligence and the tendency to memetic
> offspring and reduction in genetic offspring?
>
> Ja, here's another take on it.  Low intelligence people are better at making
> genetic offspring than their counterparts, but the more intellectual sorts
> are better at making memetic offspring than their dumber counterparts.

Did you ever read flowers for algernon? I think it is a very good book
showing clearly the loneliness very smart people can feel in their
lives. I think this contributes as well to nr of offspring related to
IQ.

>> ...The extremely highly intelligent people I met in my life, from my very
> limited and subjective point of view, tended to have fewer children, if any
> at all...
>
> conceited elitist bahstid.  But think about it.  Mainstream.  Your crowd.
> Compare sizes of those groups please.  What are you doing right now?
> Thinking and posting to a talking heads think tank?  Or watching enormous

Yes.

> men pretend to battle in a boxing ring?  Which of those activities are
> favored by the mainstream please?

Hah, I actually enjoy boxing! ;) But only after I started to train
boxing and discovered for myself the enormous skill it takes, and
perhaps more importantly, to see and appreciate that skill.

Before trying it myself, I definitely wasn't into it so, yes you are
right.

>> ...I also find the reasoning behind the genetics interesting. Some tell me
> that its their way to some kind of immortality, but they only pass on 50% of
> their genes. Those genes in themselves, assuming a wider family tree, are
> already out there and will in theory be spread around...
>
> Genetic reproduction does not offer immortality in any sense.  Only not
> dying can do that.  Memetic reproduction offers a kind of immortality, in a

Yes, that was my point. I find it a strange way of looking at it.

> very limited sense.  I personally found genetic reproduction to be

Well, very limited. Since I like the Tetrapharmakos view, ultimately for
me, it doesn't matter as well. But yes, I guess it could be a kind of
psychological chicken soup for the soul, memetic production I mean.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principal_Doctrines#Tetrapharmakos

> enormously satisfying and fulfilling, worth every dollar and every minute
> invested in the activity, a hundred times over, even though it isn't the
> path to immortality.

I'm happy for you! Does that include raising children as well or is it
just the "act of reproduction"?

>> ...Then, among the memers, there are other takes on the theme. Spreading
> ideas or through economic activity ensuring that their actions are part of
> the web of the human market/culture etc. This can also include philanthropy
> for instance.
>
> Ja.  Making this short life better for other people is the most worthwhile
> activity I can imagine.

Yes. My problem with a lot of philanthropy is that it tends to pacify
people. Many people where I live are big believers in throwing money at
some random country to feel better. The view of teaching people how to
fish is non-existent around me.

Best regards, 
Daniel