Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!husc6!linus!mbunix!bwk
From: bwk@mitre-bedford.ARPA (Barry W. Kort)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Free Will & Self Awareness
Summary: What is an intelligent response to a frustrating dilemma?
Keywords: randomness responsibility
Message-ID: <31576@linus.UUCP>
Date: 11 May 88 15:52:09 GMT
References: <770@onion.cs.reading.ac.uk> <1177@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu> <10942@sunybcs.UUCP> <31024@linus.UUCP> <5451@venera.isi.edu>
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Reply-To: bwk@mbunix (Barry Kort)
Distribution: comp
Organization: True Value Software, Axon Causeway, NJ
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Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!husc6!linus!mbunix!bwk
From: bwk@mitre-bedford.ARPA (Barry W. Kort)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Free Will & Self Awareness
Summary: What is an intelligent response to a frustrating dilemma?
Keywords: randomness responsibility
Message-ID: <31576@linus.UUCP>
Date: 11 May 88 15:52:09 GMT
References: <770@onion.cs.reading.ac.uk> <1177@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu> <10942@sunybcs.UUCP> <31024@linus.UUCP> <5451@venera.isi.edu>
Sender: news@linus.UUCP
Reply-To: bwk@mbunix (Barry Kort)
Distribution: comp
Organization: True Value Software, Axon Causeway, NJ

Stephen Smoliar seems frustrated at the drift of the discussion.
He writes:

>This discussion seems to be drifting from the issue of intelligence to that
>of aggression.  I do not know whether or not such theses have gone out of
>fashion, but I still subscribe to the hypothesis that aggression is "natural"
>to almost all animal life forms, including man.  Is your adult self so
>rational and mature that you have not so much as banged your fist on the
>table when your software does something which particularly frustrates you
>(or do you feel that adults also transcend frustration)?

It is not clear to me whether aggression is instinctive (wired-in)
behavior or learned behavior.  I think the pschological jury is
still out on this question.  It is certainly true that aggressive
and non-aggressive behaviors can be learned.  (Personally, I feel
that assertive behavior is preferrable to aggressive, and tactful
behavior is preferable to assertive.  But tactful behavior is harder
to learn.)

As to your question about my personal habits when frustrated, I do
not bang my fist on the table.  Rather, I clench my teeth.  And
I do believe it is possible (though difficult) to transcend frustration.

--Barry Kort