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For us, hardware & software are not separable. AND most people hold a constellation of opinions/views which are often wildly incompatible (like people who consider themselves to be profoundly religious Christians supporting a guy who in no way exhibits the character of the Person after whom that religion is named).
At root, I personally think that the fact that we sit in our own heads is what gets us; we come by selfishness quite naturally. Because of that fact, we can always be the heroes in our own views, the undeserving victims of others' injustices, the magnanimous going amongst the stingy, the smart/wise going amongst the stupid/foolish, the great going amidst the pedestrian.
Most importantly, it helps to make us NOT empathize with, sympathize with, understand others. Which is why we need to seek out those experiences.
RFK's visit to the South to actually see, in persom, for himself, truly abject poverty stands out as an amazing trip undertaken by a guy from one of the most privileged families in America. And by HIM doing that, a slew of reporters went along and showed a nation & the world the stark poverty which existed--and exists!--in this very rich nation.
It helped to wake up many people, I think. And seeing a rich, intelligent, cultivated white guy do this helped other rich, educated white guys (and gals) see this as real and a disturbing, heart-wrenching issue.
Education, travel, meeting people not like you--these can help chip away at the calcified selfishness which protects our hearts & heads from connecting with those whom we "other" or whom we have been raised/taught/socialized to "other".
In that light, interesting to look at the backgrounds of those who are most adamantly against science, other countries, even Americans "not like [them]".
It CAN be fixed, but, like doing what is necessary for controlling the virus, many do not want to.
At root, I personally think that the fact that we sit in our own heads is what gets us; we come by selfishness quite naturally. Because of that fact, we can always be the heroes in our own views, the undeserving victims of others' injustices, the magnanimous going amongst the stingy, the smart/wise going amongst the stupid/foolish, the great going amidst the pedestrian.
Most importantly, it helps to make us NOT empathize with, sympathize with, understand others. Which is why we need to seek out those experiences.
RFK's visit to the South to actually see, in persom, for himself, truly abject poverty stands out as an amazing trip undertaken by a guy from one of the most privileged families in America. And by HIM doing that, a slew of reporters went along and showed a nation & the world the stark poverty which existed--and exists!--in this very rich nation.
It helped to wake up many people, I think. And seeing a rich, intelligent, cultivated white guy do this helped other rich, educated white guys (and gals) see this as real and a disturbing, heart-wrenching issue.
Education, travel, meeting people not like you--these can help chip away at the calcified selfishness which protects our hearts & heads from connecting with those whom we "other" or whom we have been raised/taught/socialized to "other".
In that light, interesting to look at the backgrounds of those who are most adamantly against science, other countries, even Americans "not like [them]".
It CAN be fixed, but, like doing what is necessary for controlling the virus, many do not want to.


