Re: virus: Meme-Flexing Lesson #3
Tim Rhodes (proftim@speakeasy.org)
Sun, 9 Mar 1997 21:31:55 -0800 (PST)
On Fri, 7 Mar 1997, Tadeusz Niwinski wrote:
> There are three kinds of mystery:
> (1) Where is the end of Earth,
> (2) Santa Claus,
> (3) Mr. Armstrong.
>
> (1) We understand the world better and better and many mysterious things are
> not mysterious anymore (talking to you the way I do now a 100 years ago
> would be considered total mystery).
>
> (2) Concepts invented to control others (also in the positive meaning of the
> word "control").
>
> (3) Mr. Armstrong is not really a mystery, although it may look like one.
> Some people can do things, others can't (walking on the Moon), because they
> have skills, they were selected to go, etc. Magicians show things which
> *seem* impossible. Some magicians make it their *life's purpose* to show
> that there is nothing mysterious in their tricks. Harry Houdini, one of the
> most famous escape artists and magicians, could "walk through a wall".
> According to "Encyclopedia Americana" he "crusaded vigorously against
> fraudulent mediums, exposing their methods" (I can see a great analogy to
> what David R. is doing on this list).
I see another analogy as well. Replace "magicians" with "Buddist monks"
or "Level-3 persons" and you'll see what I mean. The problem is that from
a seat in the audience it's almost impossible to tell the difference
between your #2 Mystery (Level-2 ?!?) and the #3 Mystery. It seems to me
that both you and David are of the belief that if YOU don't know how the
trick is done, then it must be a Level-2 (Ooops!), er, #2 Mystery. All
I'm saying is that until you learn to do a little magic yourself you'll
never understand how many of the things you believe were "invented to
control others" are in truth only your own subtle tricks for controlling
yourself and passing the blame to others.
-Prof. Tim