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Night
11-27-2007, 10:32 PM
(I've a similar thread on a parallel forum; interesting to hear more opinions...)

Let's say:

Tomorrow morning, it suddenly (and quite inexplicably) becomes evident that your bed is otherwise occupied by the most unusual of bedfellows: Ganesha, the hindu deity of beginnings (and obstacles) hovers cross-legged, inches above your nose.

Recoiling, you begin to panic and quickly feel sinewy leather wrap 'round your hips and lift you clean into the early morning air. The tip of Ganesha's massive trunk pushes your cheek as his eyes capture yours. From his closed lips pour the following:

That which once was, now isn't. From your fathers, only you remain.

And - from you - the world will renew and live again. Yet, your essence must be divided if it is to survive - your properties exist both to serve and to destroy. The logic for the carving remains your own, yet you must do so in a manner that parts "good" from "evil", to ensure the survival of but one.

That is to say, the world would be reborn in your image - 1000 positive expressions of your traits, against 1000 negative collections (presume an ideal distribution of male-females, all within approximate reproductive age).

To preserve relative continuity, we'll suppose the respective camps possess an inborn necessity for cooperation with their "like-minded" brethren. Accordingly, this same initiative catalyzes a profound desire for exclusive gain. (no cross-breeding of ideals, or peace accords to stymie conflict)


Which traits go where?
How does each camp behave?
What divides "victory" from "defeat", such as your individuality allows?

chocky
11-27-2007, 11:05 PM
What an intriguing scenario!

I'm entirely uncertain who or what has the capacity to separate the good from the bad of me. Even I can't tell. The same trait could be good or bad depending on context... let's not go there - back to the OP.

I'm familiar with being divided against myself: a love of peace against the compulsive desire to smite the living daylights out of anyone that disturbs that peace.

Actually if those traits were in opposite camps it would all work out really well - the peace lovers would never disturb the peace of the would-be smiters, and they, in turn, would never act against the peace lovers.

So, unfortunately for the scenario, my good and bad would never fight it out if only they could live apart from one another - and hence neither one would prevail at the expense of the other. Both would flourish within their own world.

Sorry I can't complete the quest, but my problems are solved - I just need to divide and all will be well!

(Can I tout tribalism as a cure for all ills now?)

Night
11-27-2007, 11:08 PM
What an intriguing scenario!

I'm entirely uncertain who or what has the capacity to separate the good from the bad of me. Even I can't tell. The same trait could be good or bad depending on context... let's not go there - back to the OP.

I'm familiar with being divided against myself: a love of peace against the compulsive desire to smite the living daylights out of anyone that disturbs that peace.

Actually if those traits were in opposite camps it would all work out really well - the peace lovers would never disturb the peace of the would-be smiters, and they, in turn, would never act against the peace lovers.

So, unfortunately for the scenario, my good and bad would never fight it out if only they could live apart from one another - and hence neither one would prevail at the expense of the other. Both would flourish within their own world.

Sorry I can't complete the quest, but my problems are solved - I just need to divide and all will be well!

(Can I tout tribalism as a cure for all ills now?)

I suspect the hardest part would be splicing the "good" from the "bad", due to subjectivity in trait expression.

chocky
11-27-2007, 11:32 PM
Yes, as an example, being loyal is one trait I would see causing problems. Being loyal within the tribe is 'good'. Being loyal outside the tribe is 'bad'. But we can't confine this characteristic to just the good tribe - the bad will end up part good, simply to be a functional group.

Once the good and bad traits are hypothetically separated, don't they automatically lose something of their nature? Rather like trying to cut up a magnet - no matter how small you make the pieces, each one will retain a north and a south.

So my individual sorted into a good and bad tribe is simply not possible. The good will express a bad pole and the bad likewise express good. Wouldn't I end up with two identical tribes?

Night
11-27-2007, 11:47 PM
So my individual sorted into a good and bad tribe is simply not possible. The good will express a bad pole and the bad likewise express good. Wouldn't I end up with two identical tribes?

Possibly - at least inasfar as each trait develops (if it can be concluded that each reduction produces a recognizable result and/or is possible without destroying the trait itself.)