Re: Privacy and Human Nature (was: Gingrich, Moynihan step

Dan Fabulich (
Thu, 12 Nov 1998 16:06:29 -0500

Scott Badger wrote:
>[Michael Lorrey wrote:]
>>Brin had a rather extended and at time vile conversation with a number of
>us a
>>year or so ago on this list vis a avis privacy issues in general. While his
>>logic of making everyone accountable to everyone else due to total open
>>survellance would definitely result in little crime or exploitation, and
>>possibly enhance the market by fact that it would result in much better
>>price/value signals, he is, like communists/socialists in the past and many
>>social engineers today, trying to push a change of behavior which is
>>contrary to human nature. ignoring the fact that most people LIKE their
>>his concept has little possibility of being accepted unless the population
>>scared into it by a totalitarian propaganda machine........ hmmmm, that
>Really? A desire for privacy is part of human nature? Are there any
>studies that support that hypothesis?

To throw in my own two cents on this...

I don't have to show that a desire for privacy is a part of human nature in order to justify Lorrey's claim. Acting in accordance with one's own desires IS a part of human nature. Since lots of people like privacy (for *whatever* reason!), forcing them to give it up is contrary to human nature. That's all there is to it.

Hope this helps settle the matter. ;)