This is a discussion of the ways people can be immune to the dopamine self-addiction component of M0, and their typical life experiences in M0 society.
Hi All,
James Vandenberg wrote:
I'd like to describe how I survived an attempted M0 attack, and helped to save 20 of my classmates in grade 1, and how that precipitated a change in the Tasmanian education system. I don't feel that I am a natural immune, rather that I developed resistance because I disliked my Prep teacher.
The hypothesis says that there are in total four different kinds of immunity. These are:
Full Immune. Have defective D4 dopamine receptors as described in the Barkley article. Cannot get hooked on their own boredom products no matter what. These people experience maximal friction amongst self-addicts, and if their self-esteem survives, can have maximal ADHD "intuition" and "creativity". Their continual awareness of non-optimal behaviour is one source of friction, their lack of microsynchronisation causing dopamine denial resentment is another. Active full immunes will now be likely diagnosed ADHD, passive ones are in danger of CFIDS.
Biased Immune. Have overactive dopamine cleanup mechanisms as described in the Barkley article. In order to secrete enough dopamine to squelch their cognitive feedback loops and enter the self-addicted, self-boring model, these people have to become very bored for an extended period. They dip between C2 and C3 throughout their lives. They don't seem to experience significant friction e.g. lessonteaching behaviours, even when in the C3 state. Possibly this is because they learn microsynchronised body language while in the C2 state, and continue with habitual movements in the C3 state. In addition, they have sympathy for those who live in a permanently befuddled state, since they are often in that state themselves. In terms of fullness of life with minimal difficulty, these people probably have the best time of it in M0 society.
Diligent. People with "old-fashioned" upbringing that causes them to ask if they have really done their best etc., which mitigates against the fatuous mutual self-congratulation that accompanies chronic mass ritual addiction. Likely to be having a very hard time of it in large organisations, particularly at the moment, with "doing well" and following moral edicts by doing a good job being antithetical. This awareness of objective reality can also be obtained through a period of hardship, particlularly if the hardship is caused by the delusional reality denial of others.
Objective Reality Fixation. The deep structure contains significant surprise value. Evidence from doing the Programmers' Stone suggests that once people have seen the Quality Plateau, they know it when they see it and expect to find it. This is why Gurdjieff says that a "school of the Fourth Way" always centres on "some work". With the novelty value in the deep structure to help - the rush a programmer gets every time a neat solution presents itself - it is quite possible to stay out of the self-addicted state for long periods, even in a highly ritualised society. Being immune can lead to difficult situations in early life, and difficult situations in early life can lead to objective reality fixation. Traditionally, RAF kids never fit in anywhere.
Any person might enjoy the benefits of more than one of these kinds of immunity. For example, a person brought up to be diligent, with over-active cleanup mechanisms and who has discovered the deep structure though work as a programmer or a poet would be very unlikely to fall into the self-addicted state.
There is a characteristic cyclic life pattern that can be explained by this model. A person who benefits from type 2, 3 and/or 4 immunity starts the cycle in the C2 addicted state, with a lifestyle to match. Their job is regularised and predictable, and their social lives consist of repeating the same conversations and performing the same rituals. They are liable to refer to the "inconceivable grandeur" of these activities. Then their background novelty increases above a critical threshold. Without realising it, they kick the habit and enter C3. Now their infinitely alluring lives seem frustrating and dull, and they take steps to do more interesting things. It is usually possible to change their social activities more than their work activities, and they reach a state of social fulfillment and work frustration. Then background novelty drops, and they fall back into C2. Work becomes exciting and "interesting" again, but their social life now seems to be filled with clearly very stupid people who do not know the fashionable conversations. They change their social life again, and the pattern repeats. Only if the person is able to change their job to something more interesting in the C3 state, or exclude novelty in the C2 state, can the cycle be stopped.
From: Martin Hargreaves
On Tuesday, February 29, 2000 12:47 AM, Bill Kress wrote:
This would explain what you noticed about the Biased Immune--
since they have more of an ability to empathize, they tend
to get along better with addicts (Actually, these people
seem to me to be the happiest in general, best of both
worlds, but with a slightly lesser ability on the ACD scale).
Ooh - this is me. I seem to fit the "Biased Immune" description,
there are parts of my life I when I was definitely in C2, e.g.
most of when I was in school, and some time at University, plus
parts of some jobs. I notice when it's happening now, I get
sluggish, more cynical than usual, and listless - it doesn't seem
to be very pleasurable. This is presumably due to knowing what
C3 is like, and not being in it.
The empathy thing fits too, I find I empathise with many viewpoints,
and it makes for excellent communication skills. In several jobs
I've been dragged along to meetings to make them easier. I can
watch people arguing (usually packer type arguing), and see what
they mean, and whether they actually agree - regardless of whether
they can. Then a short summary in language they can each understand
or two summaries, one for each of them, since they don't comprehend
each others language clears it up and everyone moves on.
I've also had to do this to ease the communication between mappers and
packers several times. I think this is a form of mapping (being able to
see what the facts of the matter are, usually in simple terms),
facilitated by empathy (being able to see their viewpoint, limitations,
and agendas) and practice (sysadmin work on large sites, with lots of
admins at varying skill/understanding levels and users with varying
belligerence levels provides for much misunderstanding and arguing).
A side effect of this is that if I want people to do things, I can
usually get them to, without them resenting me, and I seem to be handy
at explaining things at the right level.
I see this as mapping other people, and it's very handy.
ACD part seems right too, I can concentrate deeply when I need to, but
I don't usually. I don't have to try, and it's good fun, but it only
happens if I need to, and if I have an interesting problem.
The being happy and not getting grief from packers part is right on as
well.
Do I get a badge or something now?
Cheers,
Martin.
--
Martin Hargreaves (Director/Consultant)
Datamodel Limited - Open Systems Management and Integration
martin@datamodel.co.uk - http://www.datamodel.co.uk
Office: 01628 660393 - Fax: 0870 0523707 - Mobile: 0411 005508