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The following first appeared in the private email list IVy-subscribers,
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printed magazine, International Viewpoints.
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Just a little more about Idiotics
by Phil Spickler
6 Dec 00

       Allow me to start by saying that Sri Ed Dawson's horrendous pun, in
which he mentions Decartes before the horse, is judged to be one of the very
best puns ever created in this or any other universe, and gets a giant WOW to
the tenth power.

         I don't know many people who have sufficient spirit of play available
in their universes to enter into the kind of fun that solipsists like Ed
Dawson, Ray Krenik, and a few others that I've come to know in this lifetime
can enjoy.  And as the adage goes, humor is often stranger than fiction, and
sometimes contains the truth.

        The solipsistic viewpoint, which as everyone knows simply has the idea
that you are the only real being and that everything else in the universe,
including those who think of themselves as other people or beings, are
nothing but your own creations, is in truth a viewpoint which I often like to
assume, because when I view everything, including other people, as something
I've created, I then find it very easy to admire everything, as well as
having a pretty high degee of affinity for it, in much the same way as other
great artists feel about their works.

         When I do assume that viewpoint, it's almost impossible for me to be
ARC broken with anything or anyone, even though I've gotten into the bad
habit, which other solipsists who call themselves gods have gotten into,
which is to endow certain of my creations with complete freedom; and then I,
like Jehovah, get really pissed off at some of the things that these
creatures do, including failing to appreciate their creator and the wonderful
things I've endowed them with.

       But all kidding not aside, this is a viewpoint that I highly recommend
folks trying out, if you haven't already, and I have more than passing
interest in hearing about the results of such an experiment.  It may be too
pan-determined for ongoing purposes, but is certainly a nice change from some
of the viewpoints that we humans wear at various times.

        Watch out about telling some people that they're just another one of
your creations, unless their humor, sense of, and spirit of play is in a
pretty good place.  Other than that, you can certainly start, once you assume
the solipsist viewpoint, patting yourself on the back with great satisfaction
as you behold that which you have wrought.

       On the other hand, it's possible that we're simply the creations of one
great all-creative cat.  I don't really know, but for some reason I'd like to
say, instead of "Goodnignt," "Meow, and purr purr."
        --Phil