Steve wrote: >I agree with Dennis on #1. > >What is astonishing to me is that apparently no one else on this list gets >the difference between high probability of truth in specific time horizons >with a particular species (us) doing specific behaviors, and a law of >nature that covers all life forms, or all possible 'intelligent life' at >all times of its existence. Eminent social scientists can't agree on the >limits to free will, and you folks issue universals as if they are laws of >cosmology.
The determinism/free will argument can never be resolved - which is the best reason for discussing it, and discussing it, and discussing it. Can't speak for "all life forms", but certainly human beings are described by the two assumptions. >Re #2- least exertion: > >If one is trying to build stamina, strength, mental toughness, performance >skills ...for chess, sports, ballet, business, music, war... one >specifically exerts as hard (& smart) as one can in training. When one is >performing or in competition, one also sometimes exerts as hard (& smart) >as one can. Planning is exertion. Focus is exertion. etc. Do painters, >poets...desire to exert thenselves less than maximum all the time? I doubt it. People will seek to satisfy their desires with the least exertion. If they have to exert to the fullest in order to satisfy their desires, they will do so. This is simply the least exertion necessary to accomplish their desires. In all sports, ceteris paribus - the one who economizes most effectively will win out in the end. I would think that a ballet dancer, too, must husband his strength. Otherwise he may be unable to do his lifts by the end of the ballet. In fact, every professional learns not to use exertion in spendthrift fashion. Certainly, if he is training, he will drive himself to the limit to accomplish his desire to excel. But, it's still the least exertion with which he can accomplish his desire. And if someone came up with a regimen where he could gain the same results with less exertion, he would surely change his schedule. However, with "unlimited desires" he may use the saving to train still more. Meantime, we lesser folks are beguiled by adds that offer us amazing pecs and rippling muscles without exertion. We don't like exertion, it makes us tired. We exert only because we get something back from it. That's all. Harry ****************************** Harry Pollard Henry George School of LA Box 655 Tujunga CA 91042 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tel: (818) 352-4141 Fax: (818) 353-2242 *******************************
