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Optimism or techno-optimism is the idea that we can fix things with the right know-how. It's a psychological strategy to avoid noticing that there are dark forc

Optimism or techno-optimism is the idea that we can fix things with the right know-how. It's a psychological strategy to avoid noticing that there are dark forces which aim to control, destroy and sow despair, perhaps conveying temporary advantages to those who ally with them. Some take a religious or supernatural view of these things; others think they are facets of consciousness which spread virally from brain to brain. Whatever you believe it seems clear that one's experience of life and the world is dominated by inner experience and mental well-being, not by luxuries or technological convenience. One could live in a palace, drive flying cars and so on but still suffer dreadfully. Although my personal disposition is fairly sunny, verging on the manic, my model of how the world and how my life works is not one of optimism but rather a series of defeats occasionally punctuated by an unexpected victory. Sort of like the fall of the Berlin Wall or how Gollum accidentally destroyed the ring. Eucatastrophe was Tolkien's name for it.

NitpickLawyer 2y ago
But isn't know-how how you got to this world view of yours? If you could do it, so can others, and technology does improve the global know-how. Even if some also use it to "control, destroy and sow despair" as you say. There would be people doing that anyway, as history shows. The printing press was the same, but I think we can all agree that the net result is positive. So is, in my view, the modern "tech".
- endoblast 2y ago
  Not know-how, it's to do with one's fundamental metaphysical assumptions and intuition. These can't be updated by evidence, they determine what counts as evidence. For example, women are having fewer or no children; modern art is intentionally ugly. To me, these seems like signs of decline, but to another they may be explained differently. With the decline of Christianity people of the West are now more demotivated than at any time in their history. Our religion was never about knowledge but it did guard the conditions under which the growth of knowledge was possible. Not saying traditional Christianity is the answer however we've thrown out the baby with the bathwater.
drdaeman 2y ago
> It's a psychological strategy to avoid noticing that there are dark forces which aim to control, destroy and sow despair I thought techno-optimists/technocrats fully acknowledge the inevitable presence of bad actors, but believe that with a proper design they would be unable to do any significant harm. Am I wrong? Of course, whenever such designs are possible in reality is a whole different issue (and the reason for a lot of disappointment). I’m merely surprised by this idea that bad actors are somehow not noticed.

NitpickLawyer 2y ago

But isn't know-how how you got to this world view of yours? If you could do it, so can others, and technology does improve the global know-how. Even if some also use it to "control, destroy and sow despair" as you say. There would be people doing that anyway, as history shows. The printing press was the same, but I think we can all agree that the net result is positive. So is, in my view, the modern "tech".

endoblast 2y ago
Not know-how, it's to do with one's fundamental metaphysical assumptions and intuition. These can't be updated by evidence, they determine what counts as evidence. For example, women are having fewer or no children; modern art is intentionally ugly. To me, these seems like signs of decline, but to another they may be explained differently. With the decline of Christianity people of the West are now more demotivated than at any time in their history. Our religion was never about knowledge but it did guard the conditions under which the growth of knowledge was possible. Not saying traditional Christianity is the answer however we've thrown out the baby with the bathwater.

drdaeman 2y ago

> It's a psychological strategy to avoid noticing that there are dark forces which aim to control, destroy and sow despair I thought techno-optimists/technocrats fully acknowledge the inevitable presence of bad actors, but believe that with a proper design they would be unable to do any significant harm. Am I wrong? Of course, whenever such designs are possible in reality is a whole different issue (and the reason for a lot of disappointment). I’m merely surprised by this idea that bad actors are somehow not noticed.