True goodwill, though, persists even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. It's simply a choice that one must make. If you make it on a case-by-case basis, you don't have it.
You might already be likening this to the Prisoners' Dilemma and be ready to argue that goodwill is a rational choice in certain situations. But true goodwill is faith without reason, good acts for their own sake. It's an act of Faith. And it's certainly useful in dealing with everyone, not just those who share it.
Richard Brodie richard@brodietech.com http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/
Author, "Virus of the Mind: The New Science of the Meme"
http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/votm.htm
Free newsletter! Visit Meme Central at
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-----Original Message-----
From: owner-virus@lucifer.com [mailto:owner-virus@lucifer.com]On Behalf
Of KMO
Sent: Sunday, March 7, 1999 4:37 PM
To: virus@lucifer.com
Subject: Re: virus: pale religious letchery
> While reason is useful in dealing with both one's "fellow" humans and the
common world we share, the utility of any particular faith is limited to
dealings with people who share it, as a social/cultural lubricant.
I dissagree pretty strongly with this statement. I find that the beneficial effects of my own faith are most evident when I am engaged in solitary creative work.
-KMO