Re: virus: maxims and ground rules

KMO (kmo@c-realm.com)
Mon, 10 May 1999 12:31:40 -0700

Tim Rhodes wrote:

>
> On Mon, 10 May 1999, TheHermit wrote:
>
> > While I agree that "consciousness is better than/preferable to
> > unconsciousness",
>
> (Just a quick aside: isn't that statement about as useful as "Being alive is
> better than/preferable to being dead?"

In THIS group valuing consciousness is ubiquitous and obvious to the point that actually codifying and enshrining the principle seems to be a vacuous exercise in affirming that which is readily apparent, but go down to Westlake mall (an upscale shopping area in downtown Seattle) and ask 100 shoppers what is important in life and see how many of them say "consciousness."

> I mean really? How many people are going
> to read it and think "Whoa! That's not a group for me, man--I'm down with
> unconsciousness all the way!")
>

I'm not sure I understand your concern here, Tim. I don't see any point in making the ground rules intentionally unattractive to the perspective participant, and the fact that few people would be put off by the first maxim on the list doesn't seem to constitute a deficiency in that maxim (postulate, axiom, talking point, or whatever we decide to call them).

-KMO