I meant to write a long blog post but got distracted by a fun conversation on MSN, so I thought I’d share! Enjoy.

Ayesha says:
olaaa

visaisahero. says:
howdy

Ayesha says:
neeed alcohol

visaisahero. says:
hahaha why is that

Ayesha says:
cause i’m fucked up, but i dont wanna know it
lol!
so
how you doing

visaisahero. says:
doing great
i’ve been working on sorting out my life

Ayesha says:
sorting out your life?
wot is it that needs sorting?

visaisahero. says:
just lah a bit of everything. it’s not really a “need”, just kind of fun to do
like my finances and fitness and sleeping habits and stuff

Ayesha says:
ahhh
good good
good to focus on the minor details

visaisahero. says:
it becomes like a game

Ayesha says:
a game
they say that’s the next big thing
we’re leaving the era of social networking

visaisahero. says:
I think I know what you’re talking about
but elaborate so I know for sure

Ayesha says:
and going into the era of gaming
everyfuckingthing will be a game
it’s simple really, it’s been here all along but we didnt see it
rewards for doing shit
but the current systems suck

visaisahero. says:
improved incentive management, basically

Ayesha says:
credit card reward plans are rubbish
xactly

visaisahero. says:
I mean if you think about why video games are so addictive

Ayesha says:
lemme see if i can find the video

visaisahero. says:
i’ve seen it
the TED one right

Ayesha says:
a bittoo somethingorother to have a real intellectual discussion
yesyes
neil wotsisface

visaisahero. says:
I was actually thinking about it before I saw it

Ayesha says:
or nick

visaisahero. says:
I was wondering why I loved video games so much
and I realise it’s because of a range of things
from cameraderie in team-based games to a sense of accomplishment

Ayesha says:
yes yes

visaisahero. says:
and I realised that I could apply that to my own life to motivate myself
the way i’m motivated to develop my characters in video games

Ayesha says:
yes!
brilliant!
there it is, that beauty right there!

visaisahero. says:
because after all life is like the most epic role playing game ever, where you get to choose your own character, your own plot, your own missions, etc

Ayesha says:
fuck this we gotta DO soemthign!
and the best bit is you cant start over

visaisahero. says:
it’s just that people are often limited because they don’t see the options they have

Ayesha says:
not completely anyway

visaisahero. says:
that’s one of the things that’s addictive about video games
your trajectory is clearly plotted out for you

Ayesha says:
they see problems as problems, the solutions arent so clearcut
exactly!

visaisahero. says:
so if you clearly plot things out for yourself
the solutions become self-evident

Ayesha says:
voila
itsjust a series of quests
do you play wow?

visaisahero. says:
i don’t think that trivializes life in any way though
i have friends who do, so i’m very familiar with it

Ayesha says:
definitely not

visaisahero. says:
in fact i think it enriches it
because it pushes you to push yourself harder to get the most out of it
if people played wow the way they lived their lives

Ayesha says:
fucking brill

visaisahero. says:
they would walk around the first village they’re spawned in
and just walk here walk there
never doing anything

Ayesha says:
hahahaha
mmhmm
sit around getting wasted, fucking everything that moves

visaisahero. says:
hahaa
it can be fun until you realise that
there’s actually a whole world out there
waiting to be mined for gold and experiences lol

Ayesha says:
all that beauty, wasted!

visaisahero. says:
it’s like playing chess without knowing that the pieces can move more than one step

Ayesha says:
but it’s ugly too
this world today is so ugly
like one of those huge boss levels
except it’s so bloody humongous, you need a whole damn clan of the world
and you get disheartened
do you try to fight, try to make a difference?
or do you just go about your own life, find your own piece of mind
be oblivious to wot’s going on around you

visaisahero. says:
well if you get to say a single line in a huge play, do you make it count?
it might not count in the context of the entire play, but it might count to you, and to a few people who might’ve noticed you, and that’s all the difference
Ayesha says:

a play that’s thousands of years long

visaisahero. says:
billions

Ayesha says:
hahaha my faith in humanity isnt that strong

visaisahero. says:
i have a broader perspective of the universe
i have faith in life if not so much in humanity

Ayesha says:
there’s this scifi book, it’s about how there are 7 different eras of human existence, each one going from barbarianism to civilization and then destruction
and how each era improves from the last one
and us right now, we are that first era
we’re fucked up, but our mistakes ensure the next level wont repeat those
i would like to believe in that, but i dont know
i dont know anything

visaisahero. says:
I think that’s a slightly ego-centric perspective
as in, the sci fi, not you

Ayesha says:
bahahaha

visaisahero. says:
even in speaking of destruction you’re really glorifying humanity
i don’t think we’re that special

Ayesha says:
i’m not averse to being egocentric

visaisahero. says:
we’re privileged, sure, but not special

Ayesha says:
i know right

visaisahero. says:
the universe will survive and go on with or without humanity as it is
life will survive, too

Ayesha says:
yes, but being wot we are, we’re only really concerned about the survival of our species no?

visaisahero. says:
i like to factor in the concept of natural selection in anything, because it’s simple and effective
most humans actually aren’t, not yet
most of us are only concerned about the survival of the self
the beautiful thing about biology is
in a social group, the survival of the group improves the odds of survival of the individual
this is the foundation of all co-operative and altruistic behaviour
and love
why we care about our family members
natural selection

Ayesha says:
exactly
there is not such thing as love

visaisahero. says:
over time, families that stick together are more likely to survive than families that don’t

Ayesha says:
not the romantic notion we have of it
it’s just biology
survival
visaisahero. says:

well you’re both right and wrong at the same time
you’re right in saying that it’s just biology

Ayesha says:
i’m so crazily in love with wotsisface only because he would be a good mate

visaisahero. says:
but when you assess it on the plane of its existence, it is very real
it’s not thaat simple

Ayesha says:
simplistically it is

visaisahero. says:
not ultra-complicated either but moderately complex

Ayesha says:
then you break it down into why
and thats where it gets complex

visaisahero. says:
we are predisposed towards having affections for each other
because in the scenarios where it’s reciprocated
both individuals are better off for it

Ayesha says:
hmm
sometimes

visaisahero. says:
and the benefit of that relationship to the individuals outweighs the value of solitude, in the long haul

Ayesha says:
definitely

visaisahero. says:
if it weren’t the case the social construct wouldn’t survive
do you know what happens in a relationship? any kind of relationship? it’s very interesting- even in friendship
something called transactive memory
you know how if businesses mege
*merge
like two textile companies
one might focus on producing the material and the other on cutting it
cuts costs, improves value

Ayesha says:
so we specialise in our roles?

visaisahero. says:
we do the same thing with our minds- thoughts, emotions, etc
it’s not so simple as you do the housework i bring home the money
though in some cases that’s how it was
but even little things like
i remember things that i’m good at and you remember things that you’re good at
like i’m good with directions and you’re good with people, etc
over time we’ll start to specialize
which is why, very inerestingly
when you break off a relationship
you feel an acute mental dissonance

Ayesha says:
yesyes i have had that

visaisahero. says:
like you’ve actually lost a part of your mind
because in a sense, you have
it’s like losing a calculator
or a phone full of numbers
fucking interesting don’t you think

Ayesha says:
ahhhh

visaisahero. says:
now transactive memory is happening at a much larger scale
meet wikipedia
but inter-personal transaction is still highly valuable
because it’s very personalised
by its very nature
ok so now we’ve spoken about families right
think about larger communities
clusters of families
tribes
clans

Ayesha says:
clans

visaisahero. says:
this is where religion comes in
football hooliganism
racism
in-group mentality
prejudice makes a lot of sense a few thousand years ago
it greatly improved your chance of survival
if you associated with one group
and collectively slaughtered raped pillaged others
our tribe is bigger and badder and better than your tribe

Ayesha says:
protect your own, fuck the others

visaisahero. says:
yeah
the more neutral peaceful folk would’ve been assimilated or killed
angry bully like behaviour would be the most effective for survival
that made sense 5000 years ago
until agriculture and heavy industry
then things start to change

Ayesha says:
the move from gesellschaft to gemeinschaft

visaisahero. says:
whut
Ayesha says:

from community
to individualism
the difference between society and community
visaisahero. says:

i’m not too sure about that; it’s always very hard to analyse individuals because every individuals are unique

Ayesha says:
in a community everyone works together

visaisahero. says:
but if you look at a systemic level, between communities
suppose tribe A is warrior tribe

Ayesha says:
they are willing to sacrifice their individual interests for the greater good of the community

visaisahero. says:
but tribes B, C and D collaborate, trade and defend each other
tribe A can no longer bully the other tribes

Ayesha says:
but society, individuals are more inclined to act in their own interest. there is still a sense of community, but it’s weaker now

visaisahero. says:
there are a few different levels of community
the nation-state, which is a western construct
the civiliation-state, like china
the powerful-in-group-state, like jews/israel

Ayesha says:
yes yes but very generally gesellschaft was pre-industrial and gemeinschaft post

visaisahero. says:
the religion-state, like islam at large
i think we can sort of intergrate individualism into the newer levels of community
because it is increasingly obvious that what benefits the state benefits the self

Ayesha says:
yes but also, it’s no longer so necessary for the state to progress to ensure self progression

visaisahero. says:
eventually the nation-state construct will become irrelevant
hard to imagine that, though
but it will happen
several generations time maybe

Ayesha says:
or
the nation-state is reinvented

visaisahero. says:
i think things like the internet create ties and empathic bonds that are broader; humanity at large is becoming increasingly connected and intergrated
the beautiful end goal will be when most of humanity sees humanity itself as the in-group

Ayesha says:
there was this project, a company started a networking site specially for the most successful people in various industries

visaisahero. says:
hahaha i’ve actually been doing that on facebook
i created a group and invited all the successful and awesome people i know
what happened

Ayesha says:
all those powerful ppl, they had all the connections to create their own megaubersuperpower nation

visaisahero. says:
mmhmm

Ayesha says:
they could have their own fucking army, schools, politicians, everyblloody thing

visaisahero. says:
and then

Ayesha says:
but all they ever used it for was social networking so lol
but still
it’s scary no?

visaisahero. says:
i think that’s precisely it
no i don’t think it’s scary i think it’s a good thing!
they enjoy the value they get from the connectivity

Ayesha says:
in the wrong hands…?
in this sort of world today?

visaisahero. says:
already happening/has happened

Ayesha says:
where hardly anyone gives a shit?

visaisahero. says:
see the beautiful thing about the world that nobody really talks about is that
if you want to be a selfish motherfucker who’s successful
it’s in your interest to make sure everyone else is successful as well

Ayesha says:
everyone in your group
and at whose expense?

visaisahero. says:
there is no expense
it’s not a zero sum game

Ayesha says:
of course there is

visaisahero. says:
our benefit does not have to come at another person’s loss
collectively everyone in the world is better off than they were 10 years ago

Ayesha says:
of course it doesnt, but the reality?

visaisahero. says:
there are slight imbalances here and there but they correct themselves
in the short run nobody wants to do anything about africa
but in the long run, it’s in everybody’s interest that they get on their own two feet
the idea is still in its infancy but you can see the roots taking hold

Ayesha says:
it’s not just africa really, we are killing this planet

visaisahero. says:
china is investing in them
the planet will be fine lol
it has survived much worse than us

Ayesha says:
at the rate we’re going?
and no it hasnt

visaisahero. says:
we are but a minor surface nuisance

Ayesha says:
hahahaha do you really believe that visa?

visaisahero. says:
it has been through ice ages, the reversal of the magnetic poles, meteor showers
the earth will survive nuclear winter
we won’t
but the earth will
you could set off all the nuclear bombs in the world all over
some life will survive

Ayesha says:
yesyes

visaisahero. says:
microbes, insects, plants

Ayesha says:
but the destruction!

visaisahero. says:
and over a few hundred thousand years the earth will be just fine

Ayesha says:
and wot about us then?

visaisahero. says:
we either adapt and survive or fail and fuck off lol
i put my money on the former
brb toilet

Ayesha says:
hahaha
sure sure gogo

visaisahero. says:
back

Ayesha says:
wowquick

visaisahero. says:
think about it, what’s the worst thing that’s happened since the 2nd world war? (which had less deaths than the first)
the cold war could’ve ended terribly but it didn’t

Ayesha says:
well you are right

visaisahero. says:
north korea could go crazy but it hasn’t

Ayesha says:
i do think we’re fucking it up pretty badly, straining the earth, but ultimately you are right

visaisahero. says:
because fundamentally people realise that it is no longer in ther self interest to go apeshit on each other
last time can

Ayesha says:
it will be fine, with or without us

visaisahero. says:
now cannot
the iraq war failed because of ethics
50 years ago they would have mustard gassed the place, like vietnam
the world will no longer stand for that
the backlash the US would recieve would cripple them
women’s rights, slavery

Ayesha says:
definitely

visaisahero. says:
we’re actually making progress on practically every front
we’re just more scared than ever because we’re more aware than ever
100 years ago people didn’t know what was happening
now we get minute by minute updates in HD video
so it’s scary

Ayesha says:
true true
it’sbecome more real

visaisahero. says:
terrorism has killed less people than mcdonalds and drink driving
and fewer and fewer people wil support it

Ayesha says:
hahahha

visaisahero. says:
clean nuclear power or geo-power (harnessing lightning, volcanoes, etc) would end our power troubles, that and sustainable power (they’re working on biological-batteries based on self-replicating life forms, so some day you won’t have to charge your phone or laptop for like years)
healthcare’s getting better, communications getting better, now you see poor people in india starving but got handphone

Ayesha says:
hahahahah
bio batteries eh?

visaisahero. says:
that would be awesome huh

Ayesha says:
yea man
*googles*

visaisahero. says:
one thing we do know is
every great invention that we take for granted
was unexpected
nobody predicted the internet, or the laser, or the telephone
(well some people did but not the majority)

Ayesha says:
mmhmm
ahh the internet

visaisahero. says:
so we can be fairly certain that there will be great (and probably accidental) discoveries and inventions that will revolutionize the world that we can’t even imagine yet
healthcare will become less curative and more preventive