2012.03.18 13:00 - Transcendence and anniversatrees

The Guardian for this meeting was Aphrodite Macbain. The comments are by Aphrodite Macbain.

milakel Resident: kori girl :)
milakel Resident: meh, stuck in this sitting pose
Aphrodite Macbain: good for the stomach muscles
milakel Resident: i work out you know :)
Aphrodite Macbain: must be the Pilates
Korel Laloix: Oh heya....
Korel Laloix: Been doing yoga.... that works some things I never have before.
Aphrodite Macbain: hello Korel, Mila, Storm
Korel Laloix: Osiyo
Storm Nordwind: ¡Hola!
Aphrodite Macbain: Ciao
milakel Resident: stormy boy :)
Aphrodite Macbain: Has everyone here had a chance to look at the video about self transcendence?
Korel Laloix: I have not.
Aphrodite Macbain: I can only see your knees again Korey
Storm Nordwind: WHich one was that? (I think I did)
Aphrodite Macbain: http://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_ha...scendence.html
Storm Nordwind: Oh yes, saw that one
Korel Laloix: Not really in a position to do video downloads at the moment... camping.
Aphrodite Macbain: It is the one that talks about the theory that we are developing into collaborative beings.
Korel Laloix: But will watch it when I get back.. thanks.
Aphrodite Macbain: and that the individual is developing from individualism to cooperation
Aphrodite Macbain: I still think the imperative to look out for #1 is more powerful that wanting to be part of a larger whole
Storm Nordwind: Why do you think that, Aph?
Aphrodite Macbain: Just watching the world
Aphrodite Macbain: especially north america
Korel Laloix: There is some to that.
Aphrodite Macbain: don't you think Storm?
Korel Laloix: But for me, there are other people that I would look out for before myself.
Storm Nordwind: The balance we find is what has got us here by evolution.
Storm Nordwind: But evolution continues
Aphrodite Macbain: Nods, and this theory proposes that we are evolving in the direction of self transcendence
Storm Nordwind: It's patchy. It's hard to say "we" about 7 billion people :)
Aphrodite Macbain: Indeed
Aphrodite Macbain: That is why I am not sure I can agree with the theory. We all evolve differently depending on the society we are in
Storm Nordwind: Societies evolve too - and perish
Aphrodite Macbain: nods
milakel Resident: i missed the theory
Aphrodite Macbain: but his argument is that the societies that are based on collaboration survive longer than those that dont
Korel Laloix: It does seem problematic to me..... I think based on some strange assumptions.
Storm Nordwind: In 3000 years we may be like Ozymandias
milakel Resident: ozy-who?
Storm Nordwind: Ozymandias
Aphrodite Macbain: and how would he look?
Korel Laloix: I think I actually know of that poem.
Aphrodite Macbain: Poe?
Storm Nordwind: Shelley
milakel Resident: i think we'll be extinct by that time
Aphrodite Macbain: ok - right period, wrong poet
Korel Laloix: Why do you think extinct?
Storm Nordwind: .

I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desart. Near them, on the sand, Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed: And on the pedestal these words appear: "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away

Aphrodite Macbain remembers
Aphrodite Macbain: Beautiful
Aphrodite Macbain: apocalypse
milakel Resident: nanobots, genetic engineering, ai, other advances. It will drastically change our way of life.
Storm Nordwind: Apocalypses are more frequent than we care to imagine
Korel Laloix: I am not a poetry person, but that one does make you think.
milakel Resident: san :)
Aphrodite Macbain: I am hoping that we will have evolved before then into a society that cooperates rather than competes
Korel Laloix: What is wrong with competition?
Aphrodite Macbain: But then we also cant keep growing in size
Aphrodite Macbain: wars, famine, suffering- little things like that limits growth-nature's way of culling?
Storm Nordwind: competition and cooperation are not mutually exclusive
Korel Laloix: We are running out of population space for sure.
milakel Resident: it may happen if the religions cease to exist
milakel Resident: kori, we do not
milakel Resident: the earth can handle much more
Aphrodite Macbain: comfortably?
milakel Resident: yes
Santoshima Resident: much more what?
Aphrodite Macbain: Hiya San
milakel Resident: people
Korel Laloix: But how about things like the olympics and school grades?
Santoshima Resident: heya
Aphrodite Macbain: we are talking about the value of cooperation vs individualism
milakel Resident: kori, what about those?
Aphrodite Macbain: http://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_ha...scendence.html
Korel Laloix: They are competitions.
milakel Resident: yes
Aphrodite Macbain: Psychologist Jonathan Haidt asks a simple, but difficult question: why do we search for self-transcendence? Why do we attempt to lose ourselves? Through evolution by group selection, he proposes a provocative answer.

Aphrodite Macbain: The answer being that we will survive as a species

Korel Laloix: I don't see competion as bad..... but put in the wrong way, it can be bad.
Storm Nordwind: Competition is fine. So is cooperation. The two can and sometimes do exist side by side
milakel Resident: aph, i think "vs" is not needed there. they work nicely together.
Aphrodite Macbain: Hmm I'm not happy about the way the way the world is going right now
Storm Nordwind: What are you doing about it Aph? It would seem a pity to be unhappy about something you can't do anything about! So do I infer you are doing something?
Korel Laloix: I don't think many people are.
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi Samuo
oO0Oo Resident waves to everybody and listens
Korel Laloix: Heya
milakel Resident: sam :)

Santoshima Resident: hello ((sam))
Aphrodite Macbain: Well I am doing something about it storm

Aphrodite Macbain: I teach community building - through cooperation
Storm Nordwind: Sounds wonderful Aph! Please tell us more.
Korel Laloix: The interesting part is that people see the world as messed up, and then work against each other.   Because the don't agree on what is wrong or how to fix it.
milakel Resident: kori, i don't. i think the world is beautiful. mostly :)
milakel Resident: life is an amazing experience and i'm thankful to mom and dad for making it happen :) cooperation!
Korel Laloix: Me as well really....
Aphrodite Macbain: I dont know enough about how humans evolve and change; nor do I know how they can evolve into a species that doesn't need to compet to survive
Storm Nordwind smiles at Mila
Aphrodite Macbain: but I know that patterns of behaviour can be changed
Aphrodite Macbain: and the work I have done for the past 15 years is doing that
Aphrodite Macbain: using the arts as an environment - collective creation
Aphrodite Macbain: for soclial change
Aphrodite Macbain: amen
milakel Resident: give us an example, aph
Aphrodite Macbain: ok
Aphrodite Macbain: working with street youth to get them to work together to create a play about their lives
milakel Resident: oh, cool

Storm Nordwind must cooperate with Mrs. Storm right now and make the lunch! Please excuse me gentlefriends :)
Korel Laloix: ciao

milakel Resident: storm, tell her you want a sandwich :)

Aphrodite Macbain: They are taught new skills, how to communicate with people they may not normally connect with (administrators, bureaucrats)
Aphrodite Macbain: and as a result their attitudes, self confidence and skills are changed too

oO0Oo Resident: Bye Storm.. actually need to leave too.. excuse me...
milakel Resident: aph, very nice
Korel Laloix: Take care.
Aphrodite Macbain: sigh
Aphrodite Macbain: Is it something I said?
Korel Laloix: lol
Santoshima Resident: no ... lunch calls
Aphrodite Macbain: Hmm
Korel Laloix: I am here until my battery runs out.
milakel Resident: proud of you, aph. you're doing good deeds :)
Aphrodite Macbain: I only said all that b/c you and Storm asked!
milakel Resident: and thank you for that :)
Korel Laloix: I think we all do our parts in one way or another.
Aphrodite Macbain: nods

Korel on a boulder

Aphrodite Macbain: where are you camping Korel?
Korel Laloix: I do some tutering.
milakel Resident: yes, as does goldman sachs
Korel Laloix: Charons Garden National Wilderness.
Aphrodite Macbain: lol
Aphrodite Macbain: Are you camped beside a lake?
Korel Laloix: Actualy sitting on top of a boulder to get a signal... looking north I think.
Korel Laloix: Near the top of Elk Mountain.
milakel Resident: cool!
Santoshima Resident: how great
milakel Resident: i want pictures :)
Aphrodite Macbain imagines Korel sitting on a big boulder with her laptop
Santoshima Resident: you always want pictures!
milakel Resident: yes, please
Santoshima Resident: :)
Korel Laloix: I am sheltered from the wind so it is nice.
Aphrodite Macbain: Who is taking pictures now?
milakel Resident: kori, i hope
Aphrodite Macbain: upside down?
Aphrodite Macbain: grins
Korel Laloix: I will get the camera out.
milakel Resident: i love outdoors and hikes, so i appreciate pictures from various places
milakel Resident: yay!
Korel Laloix: There is a bull buffallo just below me as well... huge.

Santoshima Resident: amazing

Aphrodite Macbain: wow. All by himself?

Aphrodite Macbain: I keep seeing red and green signs in my chat box
Santoshima Resident: krikes!
milakel Resident: san's mike is on
Santoshima Resident: coughing?
milakel Resident: a little :)
Aphrodite Macbain: Oh it's you San
Santoshima Resident: it does not appear as on, on the dashboard
Korel Laloix: By himself... not sure about the coughing though... very windy, so can't hear well.

milakel Resident: take a pic before he runs away!
Aphrodite Macbain: Is it cold up there?
Korel Laloix: When I go here yesterday they were looking for help with counting this endanged bird...
Korel Laloix: So that was interesting.
Aphrodite Macbain: what bird?
Korel Laloix: It is getting a bit chilly with the wind and no sun.
Aphrodite Macbain passes Korel a blanket
Korel Laloix: The Black-capped Vireo
Aphrodite Macbain: ah. will look it up
milakel Resident: that's... informative :)
Santoshima Resident: black capped vireo ... a moment ... want to look it up
Aphrodite Macbain: yes- you are making sounds San
Santoshima Resident: talkative ... quiet
Santoshima Resident: no, can't be, my preferences voice is off
milakel Resident: ok, let's open the mikes and talk instead :)
Korel Laloix: They did not hear any, but it was interesting to be out with the volunteers.
Aphrodite Macbain: "The smallest vireo that occurs regularly in the United States"

Aphrodite Macbain: oops sorry shh
Santoshima Resident: sorry, you will need to endure ... can't tell whether mike is on or off ... just think of me as a chicadee or something
Aphrodite Macbain: aww or a vireo

Aphrodite Macbain: Korel - have you seen the anniversatree yet?
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi Zen
Korel Laloix: No, what am I missing?
Zen Arado: Hi all

milakel Resident: zen :)
Santoshima Resident: you are missing seeing a bare, lonley looking tree that anticipates decoration by us
Aphrodite Macbain: It is the tree that all Pabbers are asked to decorate for the 4th anniversary
Korel Laloix: There are a few of those around here.
Aphrodite Macbain: Now I really hear birds!!
milakel Resident: hahaha
Korel Laloix: OH OK.. was still looking for a quote.
Zen Arado: not me...San
milakel Resident: kori? the cam is on? :)
Santoshima Resident: nor me
Aphrodite Macbain: San - you are very talented
Santoshima Resident: what?
Santoshima Resident: that was mila whistling
Aphrodite Macbain: Oh hmmm\Maybe Mila...
Zen Arado: oh ok
milakel Resident: :P
Aphrodite Macbain: up to her old tricks
Korel Laloix: My camera is down with my tent.
Aphrodite Macbain: Hiya Bleu
Korel Laloix: Heya.
milakel Resident: kori, are you getting it?
milakel Resident: bleu!
Aphrodite Macbain: too bad. Never separate yourself from your camera. You never know...
Bleu Oleander: hi all :)
Zen Arado: Hi Bleu
Korel Laloix: Supposed to thunderstorm tonight, so I might need to move further down from the summit.

Aphrodite Macbain: I like your smiley balloon Bleu
milakel Resident: funny bleu :)
Bleu Oleander: just advertising our Anniversatree :)
Aphrodite Macbain: oh it's a flower for the anniversatree!

Zen Arado: my Firestorm has been created
Zen Arado: great
Korel Laloix: Interesting, I can only see the sun part from the side, not head on.
Aphrodite Macbain: smile! (takes pictures)

milakel Resident: ok, let me advertise too a little (puts a bag with a frown over her head)

Bleu Oleander: :)
Bleu Oleander: haha!
Santoshima Resident: bye zen
Aphrodite Macbain: Thanks for showing us Bleu

Aphrodite Macbain: Mila!!turn that frown upside down
milakel Resident: :P
milakel Resident: how does it make you feel?
milakel Resident: creates dissonance?

milakel Resident: aph, and now? (puts on a bag with only 2 eyes)

Aphrodite Macbain: still rezzing

Aphrodite Macbain: sort of spooky with no mouth
milakel Resident: :)

milakel Resident: amazing what a simple arc can do

Aphrodite Macbain waits for the smiley face
milakel Resident: geez

Zen Arado: added a bit to notecard at tree
Aphrodite Macbain: yes?
Bleu Oleander: great i'll take a look Zen
Zen Arado: just about clover
Aphrodite Macbain: I see Zen has been celebrating St Paddy's day
Zen Arado: heh heh
Korel Laloix: Forgot about St P'S day.
Aphrodite Macbain looks in her inventory for an Irish jig

Santoshima Resident: when is the pab birthday event?
milakel Resident: April 1

Bleu Oleander: nice Zen! (Zen gets up and dances an Irish jig)
Aphrodite Macbain: nicely done zen!
Korel Laloix: Looks like battery is almost dead.
Zen Arado: why waste a nice outfit I say
Bleu Oleander: haha!
Santoshima Resident: nice to see your knees, Korel
milakel Resident: hehehe
Zen Arado: getting hot
Santoshima Resident: does anybody have a LM for the Birdday tree
milakel Resident: bleu has it
milakel Resident: ah, i do too :)
milakel Resident: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlif...up/216/105/103
Bleu Oleander: there ya go
Aphrodite Macbain: shall we all go there after our (ahem) 90 seconds?
Bleu Oleander: sure
Zen Arado: oh I danced through the bell
milakel Resident: yep
Aphrodite Macbain: we all did
milakel Resident: we can use voice
Zen Arado: riverdanced
Bleu Oleander: me too haha
Aphrodite Macbain: OK
Aphrodite Macbain: I'll see you all there
Bleu Oleander: ok
milakel Resident: i can listen to blue's "arizona" accent :)

Everyone dances off to the anniversatree