Thus spake Miles Parker circa 09-09-18 10:18 AM: > Now, this really is the heart of the matter. One certainly can > experience without forming an opinion. Granted, that can take a lot of > practice. But a world in which all phenomenon could only be appreciated > through our learned, parochial biases would for me feel very fruitless > and almost scary.
Well, I might disagree with you on this point. I think the technique you're claiming allows you to experience a context without forming an opinion is really the ability to experience a context and form _multiple_ opinions. Often this is called empathy. Let's say someone knocks my beer over in a bar, which makes me very mad because it was a $7 imperial stout of which they only brew 1 batch per year.... let's say... ;-) Now, my first opinion is that I should jump up and elbow them in the nose. But after a few microseconds (depending on how many beers I've had), my second opinion is from his point of view... I've knocked over others' beers at various times and didn't believe I should be elbowed in the nose. And given a few more moments, I may form many more opinions... perhaps he's drinking a Budweiser and needs to be elbowed in the nose because he has no taste in beer and probably thinks my beer is as crappy as his, which means nobody really cares if it gets knocked over! This ability to form many hypothetical models of any given aspect can eventually _seem_ like not forming any opinion. -- glen e. p. ropella, 971-222-9095, http://agent-based-modeling.com ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
