Almost. I love the bold poetic of how you put it. But let's please
s/fair/equal/.
The vernacular use of fair means something more than "equality".
The idea that life could be equal is patently ridiculous, and
self-evidently undesirable. Equality is the worst hope you can have.
> likely you are so far ahead of fair that fairness can only be a step
back.
That's a bit too pared down for my tastes. It supposes a linear,
monotonic, single dimensional quality of life upon which we all agree.
None exists. The best candidate - per capita GDP - is fatally flawed,
as discussed here in many vibrant exchanges. As if some (disastrous)
communist type reckoning could "reset" the world to parity? No, of
course it never could. For one thing we'd all be in different physical
locations, different ages, mental abilities, and so on, each dimension
having its attendant pros and cons. In such a transformation many
aspects of "Our western life" would actually improve, and not to see
that would be parochial.
I'd say, if you're reading this; you're probably in an position,
intellectually, to appreciate how an imposed "equality" would
radically change your life, and make it worse in many ways but better
in some others. Such a thought ought to shine light on the richness of
life and culture that makes this unfair world such a beautiful place.
What I love about your comment is that compassion is not made a
dependent of any schoolboy ideologies about equality or fairness.
> If you have success, spread some unfairness around. Help others up.
you can't help everyone, so it's not fair, but it's the best you can
do.
Absolutely. Bravo.
> Give someone an unfair leg up, give someone an unfair
opportunity. Pass on some of the unfairness you already have.
I find this "empowering others" an ideal that resonates with me as a
subversive stance against brain-dead systems that hold people back so
that the chosen few might rule. It's spreading "fairness" by spreading
"unfairness". Tactical dissemination of knowledge (fairness
redistribution) is, for me, a core true hacker value. Code is one of
the most extraorinary ways to transfer power. Like blatantly telling
my students how to game and hack the Kobayashi Maru dreamed up by
"well meaning" but ignorant administrators.
The vernacular use of fair means something more than "equality".
The idea that life could be equal is patently ridiculous, and self-evidently undesirable. Equality is the worst hope you can have.
> likely you are so far ahead of fair that fairness can only be a step back.
That's a bit too pared down for my tastes. It supposes a linear, monotonic, single dimensional quality of life upon which we all agree. None exists. The best candidate - per capita GDP - is fatally flawed, as discussed here in many vibrant exchanges. As if some (disastrous) communist type reckoning could "reset" the world to parity? No, of course it never could. For one thing we'd all be in different physical locations, different ages, mental abilities, and so on, each dimension having its attendant pros and cons. In such a transformation many aspects of "Our western life" would actually improve, and not to see that would be parochial.
I'd say, if you're reading this; you're probably in an position, intellectually, to appreciate how an imposed "equality" would radically change your life, and make it worse in many ways but better in some others. Such a thought ought to shine light on the richness of life and culture that makes this unfair world such a beautiful place.
What I love about your comment is that compassion is not made a dependent of any schoolboy ideologies about equality or fairness.
> If you have success, spread some unfairness around. Help others up. you can't help everyone, so it's not fair, but it's the best you can do.
Absolutely. Bravo.
> Give someone an unfair leg up, give someone an unfair opportunity. Pass on some of the unfairness you already have.
I find this "empowering others" an ideal that resonates with me as a subversive stance against brain-dead systems that hold people back so that the chosen few might rule. It's spreading "fairness" by spreading "unfairness". Tactical dissemination of knowledge (fairness redistribution) is, for me, a core true hacker value. Code is one of the most extraorinary ways to transfer power. Like blatantly telling my students how to game and hack the Kobayashi Maru dreamed up by "well meaning" but ignorant administrators.