Quote from: Rassah on December 12, 2011, 03:21:53 PM

This whole RBE thing is still way too greatly dependent on the false assumption that we as a human species are not lazy. We are practically genetically programmed to collect as many resources as possible while doing as little as possible, since "doing" wears us out and makes us die faster. I am unconvinced that anyone would voluntarily go through the extremely grueling work of obtaining an advanced degree/education in any subject without knowing there will be a major payout at the end of it, which would give you an advantage over your peers. Why bother studying engineering, software development, biology, or resource allocation (economics), including all the parts you are guaranteed to have absolutely no interest in, but which are still essential in your field of interest, when you are already provided everything you need, and "someone else will just do that work for you"? From personal experience, I can tell you that brilliant people would much more likely end up slacking of, spending their days playing videogames, reading random books, or just debating random things on forums for hours rather than do any inventing work for the rest of you. Or they would end up forming an exclusive community where they can competitively to compare their levels of brilliance, use it as reputation, and invent their own barter and money system, exchanging their ideas only amongst each other, as a sort of a game to see who can collect the most "smart" points. Brilliant people are quite arrogant and competitive after all. And then the rest of you would be screwed.

Hmm. I disagree and agree.

I think it's mostly twelve years of government education that stomps out most people's natural curiosity and desire to learn. Despite that, plenty of people put in a lot of time and effort about a lot of useful things just out of interest. I'm certainly spending plenty of time learning about Bitcoin, gathering useful info I can share with others. I know people who learn about and tinker with cars, constantly improving their knowledge and skills, including the parts they don't like as much, just for the sheer joy of it, and to be able to say, "Yeah, I made this." Even those who waste their brilliant potential can unlearn their state-ingrained habits. Check out Montessori schools for an interesting look at this.

Now, as far as the idea of someone wanting to suck off my long hours of learning and hard hours of labor for free? Yeah, that's totally unacceptable, and most people will balk when that gets brought up. In fact, if it's insisted upon, you'll eventually find many people refusing to study, learn and develop themselves, even for their own enjoyment, simply because they know others will come by and take the fruits of their labor from them.

Incentives will always be needed to get people to perform at their best consistently, in a way that benefits others. Personally, I see positive, voluntary incentives (prime example: free trade) as the ideal kind.