[From Bill Powers (930329.1330 MST)]
Greg Williams (930329-2) --
Is either of those explanations 99% accurate?
I don't know. I don't have direct access to my motivational
control structure, so I can't say what explanation is "99%
accurate."
This is going to make it difficult for you to know whether I've
met the challenge. Well, I did say you are the judge, so maybe
you will win by default.
I thought you were going to explain why I issued the challenge
in the first place, not why I continue to say you haven't
succeeded in meeting it.
It's hard to experiment with a previous condition of a control
system. I think it's better to assume that the same control
system continues in existence, and see what can be found out
about it as time progresses. If it's really gone, so some
completely different process is going on right now, I don't think
I'll have much luck in guessing how it was organized then. It
didn't occur to me at the time I chose the challenge-issuing
behavior as the test object that the control process in existence
just then might disappear immediately and be unrecoverable.
If that happens to be true (I'm not admitting it yet), what
conclusion would you draw about the possibility of understanding
human behavior by ANY means?
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You are overlooking the possibility that an output can remain
(at least look) the same while the intended outcome is
changing. My motivations could be changing continuously for not
withdrawing the challenge.
That's a possibility. Is that what's happening?
So what about an explanation for my originally issuing the
challenge?
If that's your condition, I may well admit defeat. Any reaction
to that?
Was (and is) this one of the immediate goals in issuing the
challenge?
Again, I don't know. It sounds reasonable, but how would I
gather any additional evidence beyond (my own) hearsay?
Try trusting your own "hearsay" (I thought that referred to
repeating what someone else said). I don't think you need to look
outside to find out what you want. If you want it, you still want
it. You can imagine what outcome would be satisfying to you, and
know whether it seems OK or if there's something wrong with it.
That is, did you want to get back an indication of my
acceptance or rejection of it?
It is possible. I'm not sure.
Well, in that case I'm not going to tell you whether I intend to
continue with this challenge. OK with you?
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Best,
Bill P.