seventh. text.

[torrefied]

Consider the following exercise in critical thinking, if you can tear yourselves away from gossiping about each others' love lives long enough to put some actual thought into formulating an answer:

If you had never before encountered a being like yourself before - a human, for example, or however you classify yourself - what would you most want to know about these beings? What are the most important concepts that are fundamental to your existence?

Comments

[torrefied]

It's not that difficult to understand, Bianca - I have more important priorities. Furthermore, there is one key aspect about social ties that you've overlooked - they are a liability. The easiest way to exploit someone is through a person they care about.

[He would know. He's done it more times than he can count.]

There's a very simple risk-benefit analysis to be made here. It's not rocket science.

[wormintheglass]

It's not simple at all, and that you think so is either an ill-judged lie or a sign of a shockingly limited perception.

What are these priorities of which you speak?

[torrefied]

I'm not lying about this, Bianca, and there's nothing wrong with my perception. I see the world as it actually is - brutally violent and mostly populated with idiots. And you must think I'm deeply stupid if you think I would tell you what my priorities are. We are not friends, Bianca. In case it happened to slip your mind, you murdered me.

[wormintheglass]

You got better.

I believe you aren't lying. Have you ever considered the possibility that your perception may, in fact, be more limited than you think?

[torrefied]

[Nooot even gonna touch that first part, nope.]

I'm failing to see how "limiting" my perception to actual reality is detrimental.

[wormintheglass]

You continually confuse your own opinions with "actual reality", Mello. Do you have any conception of how vast the multiverse is? Of how many people there are whose "actual reality" is as different to yours as the heart of a volcano is to the cold deeps of space? I have been called an egotist in my time, but you leave me in the dust.

[torrefied]

I wrote a paper on the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics when I was ten years old, Bianca - I'm familiar with the concept. I just don't have the luxury of entertaining flights of fancy about hypothetical worlds. I have much more immediate concerns to deal with in my own.

[wormintheglass]

I've never questioned your ability to memorise and regurgitate facts on command, Mello. I'm aware you aren't stupid.

Though, given that we're currently trapped on one of these "hypothetical" worlds, I do wonder about the level of cognitive dissonance you seem to be happy to swallow.

[torrefied]

I've swallowed far more unpleasant things than cognitive dissonance, Bianca. Don't confuse tolerance for acceptance.

[wormintheglass]

I thought the point of this was not to discuss our sex lives?

[torrefied]

I'm not discussing my sex life, I'm making a point, you prat. I'm fully aware of the fact that the reality in which I am currently existing isn't the one from which I originated. There are more immediate concerns to deal with here, too, and I can't believe I have to explain this to you.

No, strike that, I CAN believe it, actually.