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Sunday, May 2, 2010

Rules for a Better Reality

One of my favorite hobbies is figuring out how I would create a perfect (or at least more perfect than this one) world if I had all the powers of God, including the power to know how to use all those powers wisely without being corrupted by them as the powerful always are (we're intended to believe God is an exception to that rule, and as a hopeful candidate for the position I hope this is correct). Last year sometime I wrote down a list of rules that I felt would provide a guiding vision for what I believe constitutes an ideal universe, and am reposting and slightly modifying that list here. It probably isn't final, but it's been overdue to get done for a long time, and this blog has fulfilled its purpose in existing by giving me an excuse to do it.

Rule 1. Right makes might.

Rule 2. Beauty is indestructible.

Rule 3. The most sophisticated answer is usually correct. ("Sophisticated" is often but not always synonymous with "complex"; this is mostly a rejection of Occam's Razor, which might be true but doesn't deserve to be, but does allow for the possibility that simplicity can be elegant and elegance is sophistication.)

Rule 3.14 Lifespans and tempers should both be near-infinite in length.

Rule 4. The whole contains no parts, but is greater than the sum of itself. (This relates to something I call Venn Theory, which is the idea that involvement in group efforts produces diminishing returns and it is generally better for people to work separately and independently.)

Rule 5. That which has no value cannot exist, and that which exists must be valued. (An intelligent being can value itself.)

Rule 6. Every rule has exceptions, including this one.

Rule 7. An intelligent being, once it exists, cannot be made to cease to exist against its will. (Though it may be transformed or have its memories altered, if this is somehow necessary for a greater good.)

Rule 8. Memories cannot be forgotten unless the events that they represent are retroactively undone; such undoing, however, is easily accomplished.

Rule 9. Anything worth doing is easy; anything one should not do is impossible.

Rule 10. Actions do not have consequences beyond those intended by their actors. (This means that if you accidentally knock over the first domino in a row, the others will not fall, though if you intend to tip them all over you can easily do so.)

Rule 11. Anything can theoretically happen at any time for any reason or no reason, although most such things are extraordinarily unlikely; generally, not more than one or two should happen anywhere in existence at any given moment, so the average person will observe such a happening once every few days or so. (I believe witnessing the impossible on a frequent but irregular basis will help all people to maintain a sense of wonder which is good for one's spiritual health.)

Rule 12. No change is irreversable.

Rule 13. Generalizations are almost always invalid. (And yes, the odds are that this is itself untrue.)

Rule 14. An intelligence must eventually evolve, whether it wants to or not. (However, remaining stagnant in a wallow of self-indulgence is perfectly okay as long as it is limited to a few thousand years or so). Failure to comply will result in gradual behavior modification to ensure eventual compliance.

Rule 15. That which cannot be done well is probably not worth doing.

Rule 16. The weak should usually triumph over the strong.

Rule 17. Doing nothing should usually lead to the situation improving of its own accord.

Rule 18. Willingness to try should constitute guarantee of success. Nothing more than desire should be required to achieve accomplishment. Conversely, there should be no accidents; without willful intent, nothing should occur or be needed to occur.


There are probably more I could add, but this is the original list I wrote on 12/18/09, and after five and a half months of continuing to learn and evolve, I find all of these statements to still be meaningful and deserving of truth, and offhand cannot think of any more to add.

EDIT - Added Rule 3.14 on 7/28/10; it popped into my head mid-rant today and I decided it was too perfect to put off for a revised and renumbered version of the list, and had to go right up near the top. #3 is probably the right place for it, but for now I'm using the position corresponding to Pi, as it corresponds to the theme of a party I'm planning to run next year.

EDIT - Added Rule 18 on 09/02/10.

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