[MD] Why isn't the hot stove obvious?

[Arlo Bensinger]

[Craig to Mary]
Pirsig's explanation for this variety: the life experiences of the 
four family members are different.

[Arlo]
I'd agree with Craig here. I would add also that one variable (maybe 
this is the same thing, with a different emphasis) is that higher 
level patterns often operate against, or in defiance of, lower level 
patterns. A "firewalker", for example, can learn to suppress the 
immediate biological "low qualitiness" of the situation. With enough 
training and practice, many situations that are only biological 
"pain" for some many in fact be social-intellectual "pleasure" for 
others (you know, what many see as SOM- Sadism or Masochism :-).)

An amoeba, to extend this example, without any social or intellectual 
enabled agency, can respond ONLY via the perception of Quality within 
its range of biological enabled agency.

A human beiing, WITH social or intellectual enabled agency, can 
respond with a broad range of biological-social-intellectual agency, 
and depending on the "life experiences" of the individual, the 
selection of response from this repertoire will vary greatly.