metaphysical investment

Needs weblinks to references.

The recent floods have reinforced for me the value of metaphysical investments in preference to material assets.



Science as a metaphysical investment

Probably really isn’t a good idea at all. If I were to travel backward or forward in time by one hundred years most of what I know would be useless. 100 years ago I’d probably have lookup tables and slide rules to calculate a density temperature correction. Today I let a spreadsheet calculate it out for me, maybe in a hundred years lab analysts wont even know that there needs to be a temperature correction because it is done on the fly by the instruments.

Maybe my analytical methods and steady hands would be of use, but the transition may be like me starting work in a genome sequencing lab. Though I have some industry experience they may as well hire a new graduate on the cheap for all the re-learning I would have to do.



Sport as a metaphysical investment

Seems like a decent idea. I remember a TV show where a dozen blokes from different sports competed in various tasks. There were footballers, a boxer, triathlete, swimmer, race car driver and I don’t recall the rest. They all had a go as a particular skill from each of the other sports, like punching a bag quickly, time trials (driving, swimming, running). In the end the Race car driver was the overall winner. He was OK at everything, had a lot of stamina and recovered quickly.

Therefore probably if I went forward into the future a thousand years and they drove Mechas or competed with air blades. My breath capacity from underwater hocky; efficiency from fencing; reaction time from volleyball; party tricks from gymnastics; poise from dancing; balance from bike riding. May in some small way mean that I’m not terrible at it.



Religion as a metaphysical investment

Um, kind of the whole point of religion. So I acknowledge I’ll be dead one day and when that happens things may change dramatically in such a way that I can never predict the transition.



Social skills as a metaphysical investment

If there are no people than I’d probably go mad. I’ll have to rely on other people to warn me about cultural taboos. Do we say grace before eating? Can I wear DT’s at the beach? Am I supposed to spit on my hand before a handshake? Do we bash our beers together to prove their not poisoned?



Information technology as a metaphysical investment

Would have to be essentially useless, particularly in an agrarian society but also if the prediction in the Matrix come true. The way we interact with technology is the main thing determining how it get used. Games are helpful in this regard as they always press the envelope. Playing both Hawken with the Occulas and then ToME (or ADOM) with only a keyboard will keep my mind diverse. Like Leonardo DaVinci who could apparently read Latin then translate it to French with his left hand and German with his right all at the same time.

IT is where I am constantly learning new things and trying to keep my mind supple.



Creation as a metaphysical investment

Best idea ever, it’s much easier to break than it is to build. If I end up in a place with no Lego and nobody speaks English then acting/singing is about all I can do. I should learn how to sing opra, then language will nolonger be a barrier. Cooking is good to but some places have wired vegetables and some people are allergic to flour (haven’t the faintest idea how to make flour either).

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. I don’t know how to fish…