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It is indeed a phenomenon that others have experienced. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overview_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overview_effect

ceejayoz 5y ago
Most of the folks who've been up so far are military and science oriented folks; there's a bit of an existing tendency to think in that direction. I'm not sure the personality required to become a billionaire is necessarily going to result in the same feelings looking at Earth from orbit. "It's small, I want to own the others" might be the Bezos response.
- peatmoss 5y ago
  Perhaps, but I think that’s speculation based in cynicism. By the same reasoning, wouldn’t a military person look down and say, “I want to subjugate the others by force?” I’m more inclined to believe that there is something intrinsically profound in seeing all the known life in the universe in one field of view. I also am inclined to believe that billionaires are just the world’s most wealth-atypical people, not the world’s most neuro-atypical people, and thus would respond in the typical way to the overview. But maybe that’s an optimism bias on my part.
  - ceejayoz 5y ago
    There are indications psychopathy is substantially more common in CEOs than the general population. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy_in_the_workplace https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy_in_the_workplace I'm inclined to consider the Neil Armstrongs of the world more service-oriented than subjugation-oriented, as a general impression of their careers as astronauts.
- sodafountan 5y ago
  On the contrary, it could also be a universal human emotion in the same way that people are awe-struck when they visit the Grand Canyon or Redwood Forest. It could end up being a very therapeutic endeavor for the average person if space-tourism becomes more accessible, putting people's problems in perspective.

ceejayoz 5y ago

Most of the folks who've been up so far are military and science oriented folks; there's a bit of an existing tendency to think in that direction. I'm not sure the personality required to become a billionaire is necessarily going to result in the same feelings looking at Earth from orbit. "It's small, I want to own the others" might be the Bezos response.

peatmoss 5y ago
Perhaps, but I think that’s speculation based in cynicism. By the same reasoning, wouldn’t a military person look down and say, “I want to subjugate the others by force?” I’m more inclined to believe that there is something intrinsically profound in seeing all the known life in the universe in one field of view. I also am inclined to believe that billionaires are just the world’s most wealth-atypical people, not the world’s most neuro-atypical people, and thus would respond in the typical way to the overview. But maybe that’s an optimism bias on my part.
- ceejayoz 5y ago
  There are indications psychopathy is substantially more common in CEOs than the general population. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy_in_the_workplace https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy_in_the_workplace I'm inclined to consider the Neil Armstrongs of the world more service-oriented than subjugation-oriented, as a general impression of their careers as astronauts.
sodafountan 5y ago
On the contrary, it could also be a universal human emotion in the same way that people are awe-struck when they visit the Grand Canyon or Redwood Forest. It could end up being a very therapeutic endeavor for the average person if space-tourism becomes more accessible, putting people's problems in perspective.