Improving Each Other's Treasure Maps

Some discussion in: Netflix And Virtue Signalling

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UnAnon: Don't confuse poor Xero with the concept of nuance.
Xero: Fuck Nuance
UnAnon: Going by how I've responded to your threads in the past, dear, do you think I'm interested enough to read thirteen pages?
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UnAnon: I think the most offending bit about Xero's dozens upon dozens of threads is that he seems to honestly believe his forum posts are genuinely worth my money.
Xero: My threads are pretty worthless if this is your conclusion.

What I actually honestly believe is that our behavior improves when we actually know what things are worth. In this video a street vendor is selling original art by Banksy. Except, the vendor doesn't inform people that it's original art by Banksy. And the price of the artwork is far less than the market value.

Most people have no clue what the artwork is really worth. Their behavior reflects this. If most people did know what the artwork is truly worth, all the artwork would be quickly sold.

It's the closest thing you'll see to people walking past $100 dollars bills just sitting in the middle of the sidewalk.

Imagine the equivalent scenario with some hunters and gatherers. Of course they are hungry... yet they simply walk past plants that are loaded with perfectly ripe squash. They don't know the value of the squash so their behavior is detrimental. Ignorance in this case is not bliss. Their ignorance decreases their chances of survival. Each member of the tribe has a treasure map... .. but squash is not on any of them.

Fortunately for humanity, some individual did discover that squash is nutritious and delicious. How did others learn of the value of squash? How was everyone's detrimental ignorance eliminated? How did squash end up on everyone's treasure map? Everyone's treasure map was improved because squash was something that people were willing to trade for. If you see me trading my tool for some squash... then if you know the value of my tool... then you'll figure out that I believe that the squash is even more valuable than my tool...

tool < squash

Right now we don't know how much a thread is actually worth. As a result, we all consistently overlook valuable threads. We all regularly walk past $1 dollar bills and $5 dollar bills and $20 dollars bills and even $100 dollars bills that are just sitting in the middle of the sidewalk. Our treasure maps are very incomplete so we all fail to regularly obtain and gain and utilize valuable information and knowledge that's just sitting there. Our behavior is detrimental because we don't know what a thread is worth. Our detrimental ignorance isn't eliminated. This is simply because we fail to use our money to inform each other how beneficial a thread is. We fail to put valuable threads on each other's treasure maps.

We buy squash but we don't buy threads. Because... threads are abundant and free. Why spend money on something that you can have for free? You should do so... if it will improve the behavior of the members of your tribe. If a thread has some knowledge and information that you think the members of your tribe should have and use, then it's in your best interest to use your money to bring it to their attention.

I am a member of your tribe. Every member of this forum is a member of your tribe. Our tribe is called NationStates. Our tribe will truly and thoroughly thrive when each and every member behaves as beneficially as possible. Behaving as beneficially as possible depends on having and utilizing the most important knowledge. In order for each and every member to have and use the most important knowledge, we have to use our money to bring the most important knowledge to each other's attention. We have to use our money to improve each other's treasure maps.

In the upper left hand corner of my screen it says, "NationStates by Max Barry author of LEXICON". Have you read Lexicon? I sure haven't. The founder of our tribe wrote a book that I haven't read. I wonder how many members of our tribe have read it.

Obviously Barry successfully brought his book to my attention. And for sure I can figure out what it costs to buy his book. But even if it was free it doesn't necessarily mean that I'd take the time to read it. This is simply because I don't know what the book is truly worth. Cost and worth really aren't the same thing.

But let's say that you did take the time to read Barry's book and you did really enjoy it. If you created a thread that explained why members of our tribe should read our founder's book, and lots of members used their donations to bring your thread to my attention... then the more valuable your thread, the greater my motivation to would read Lexicon.

How many books are there anyways? How many articles are on the internet? How many videos are on Youtube? We really don't have the time to read and watch everything. It's a very important fact that our tribe, as a group, can read and watch far more than any single member of the tribe can. Our tribe, as a group, has far more eyeballs than any single member of the tribe. Our tribe, as a group, has far more ears than any single member of the tribe. Most importantly... our tribe, as a group, has far more brains than any single member of the tribe. In order to fully utilize our collective brain... we need to use our money to improve each other's treasure maps. When each and every member of our tribe has and uses the tribe's most valuable knowledge and information... then we'll be the smartest and most powerful and most influential tribe on the internet. We will win the internet. At least until other tribes figure out the "secret" to our success.

But if it's beneficial for each and every member of the NS tribe to use our money to improve each other's treasure maps... then imagine how beneficial it will be when each and every member of the human race uses their money to improve each other's treasure maps. Then we'll be the smartest and most powerful and most influential species in the universe. We will win the universe.