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This file has been CLOSED, the current version is called EST.
March 10, 2021
I know very little about EST from the
inside, but much about it from the
behavior of self-professed acolytes EST="Earhardt
around the close of the 1970s. Sensitivity Training"
The Science Fiction club at Stony Werner Earhardt
Brook (the "Science Fiction Forum") was one of those Englebart was
that I was involved in had a big "geniuses at unfortunately
clique of EST people hanging convincing other among the ranks
around-- I mostly remember them for people he was a of the conned.
their capability of putting you on genius" that
the defensive about things you Martin Gardner ENGLEBARTS_BARD
didn't actually want to defend. complained about.
One guy in particular I remember for There's a quote from Leonard Susskind
playing some interesting moves where floating around about how Earhardt
he would sometimes do some suprising was "a very smart man". I believe
attacks (essentially accusing me of Susskind introduced Feynman to
being lame and undiscipled) but he Earhardt. One suspects that Feynman
would alternate those with more regarded him with a bit more of his
flattering treatment, acting as trademark Brooklyn skepticism.
though I was one of the smart,
creative insiders on his team. Even LEONARD_SUSSKIND
at the time, I could kind of see what
that game was about, and didn't take Later I met someone who told me
the attacks or the praise very about their experiences with a
seriously. family member going over to EST,
after which everyone was
I never bothered to read up on constantly under assault: their
Werner Earhardt's schtick in supposed faults were continually
any detail, but I gathered it being hammered on. And the proud
was basic inspirational recipient of "Sensitivity
"self-help" stuff-- you create Training" was, of course, always
your own reality!-- but instead above criticism.
of "I'm Okay, You're Okay" it
was more like "I'm an asshole,
you're an asshole". DOUBLE_THE_NEGATIVE
A big selling point was the
appeal of being an Insider
("do you *get it*?), and
famously the introductory The Burt Reynolds movie
EST meeting involved what "Semi-Tough" actually
amounted to a hazing ritual did an excellent job of
where they would prevent you satirizing this kind of
from leaving the room for stuff, though I realize
hours, demanding that you Burt Reynolds and social
wet your pants if necessary. satire go together about
as well as presidential
politics and, uh--
Since those days the EST
people seem to have calmed
down quite a bit. This A friend of mine was dating an
happened after it became clear ESTey once and after they scored
that Earhardt wasn't kidding an unlikely parking space near
about being an asshole (there the center of campus, she
were some accusations of tax commented "I *created* that
evasion-- of which he was parking space." The relationship
supposedly later acquitted-- didn't last long.
and also some accusations of
spouse abuse, about which
Earhardt seems more quiet).
The EST people have rebranded One hopes there's no
themselves as members of the connection between
"Landmark Forum", and they "The Landmark Forum"
no longer come off as the most and the "Science
annoying people on the face of Fiction Forum", but I
the planet. have my suspicions.
This is the lesson here, I think:
The Fire that emerged from Silicon
Valley was originally ignited by the GRACE_MACHINES
dreams of 60s rebels: they wanted to
get computing power into the hands of
the people, and that's what they did.
But lurking in the background, always
threatening to overwhelm and undercut
that achievement has been the drive to
surrender your will to a guru, to
submerge your identity in a cult.
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