>I don't think we can, but that's not what I'm trying to say. I'm just
>noting that the effects of a belief system are not the same as the content
>of the belief system. The effect of <belief X> on the host is not to be
>understood just by looking at the mechanisms inside <belief X>. Tarot
Oh-oh, I think we're more or less in agreement ;->
I too think that something like astrology or tarot reading can have its
uses (e.g., self-analysis), but think that using it as such will generally
be more successful if you approach it in that spirit; e.g., rather than
naively believing my horoscope, I approach it with the attitude of "What
will this piece of advice tell me about my feelings regarding the upcoming
business trip?". In other words, I get more mileage out of astrology by
realizing that its best use is *not* as a predictor of future events. Maybe
this was your point all along...
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Ken Kittlitz ken@kumo.com
Kumo Software Corp. http://www.kumo.com