[MD] Thank You, Past Posts Re-up Request, and Intellectual Value Over Biological Value

[ngriffis]

Nick:       Thank you, Dan, for the reference to ZMM free download. I found
that I could put in a key word/phrase and the pdf document would cite every
page where that word/phrase was to be found. This is a great way to be able
to resource information...ah! technology. When it has Quality, it is a good
thing :)

 

        Mention has been made of Turner's Letter, Persig's reply letter to
Turner, and a compilation of first year Lila Squad discussions titled
"Lila's Child" 

 

Nick Question:       Would anyone be kind enough to direct me to these
documents or would any one post them for new comers to access and learn
from. Thank you

 

Nick:       Finally, Patterns of Value has been discussed here recently. It
has been said that there is a hierarchy of patterns and that the higher
pattern of value has precedent over lower patterns: 

 

> Chapter 13 of LILA. 

>"Just as it is more moral for a

doctor to kill a germ than a patient, so it is more moral for an idea to

kill a society than it is for a society to kill an idea."

 

Nick Question:       Did Pirsig really say this? This cannot be right. Much
more towards MOQ is, I believe:

 

> "This observation is impossible in a substance-dominated metaphysics where
everything has to be an extension of matter. But now atoms and molecules are
just one of four levels of static patterns of quality and there is no
intellectual requirement that any level dominate the other three." [Robert
Pirsig]

 

Nick:       Perhaps, I have taken the germ metaphor out of context and
Pirsig does not put forward the concept that an idea killing a society is
more moral than a society killing an idea. 

        Also, I suppose that Pirsig can only give us a map to Quality. The
ideas of MOQ are just the map and that we are "finally and completely
trapped into making quality judgments for" ourselves to climb the mountains
and traverse the territory. Thank you: Dan.

        To conclude, I send my greetings to John and Tuukka. Tuukka, hang in
there. I wish you well and right along with you, I, too, am seeking how to
reach for greater Quality. 

        Being isolated can lead to quality because it allows one to think
more deeply. Being isolated can lead to negative quality because, I believe,
it is hard-wired into our biology to be with other people. 

        Further, seemingly through the ages, we have come to value that
having "purpose" in our lives moves us closer to quality. Dan seems to find
this in his writing. I am still working on finding my purpose. I know what
it is "not" though, just as we know what is an essay that lacks quality :)
Pirsig gave us the guideline that we can know what Quality is. Charlie
Munger, a popular philosopher-business man of today, urges us to always
"invert". That is: always turn what you are thinking about to its' opposite,
to its' upside-downness. Then take a look at that possibility. That might be
an addendum guideline to seeking quality, the realization that knowing what
is "not" bringing us towards quality also can help.  Here is to finding more
Quality and purpose.