How would you act if given absolute power over an alien civilization?

[UniversalAlien]

You know this thread is almost 2 years old? Your last paragraph is confusing.

If I were the lone giant among a race of tiny people, ant-sized or smaller, I'd absolutely subjugate them. I would make them terrified of me and enjoy every second of it. I think I made that pretty clear in this thread early on.

Well here is your opportunity - The entire site {onlinephilosophyclub} was down for awhile and rumor has it that it is for sale - Find who currently owns the domain name and buy it.

Or, maybe you can get Donald Trump to buy it ? He apparently has nowhere else to post as he has been banned on his favorite sites. Offer to make him King Trump where he can post his philosophy of
'Trumpism' which already has a big fan base - Unfortunately no one but his followers, a mixed group of conspiracy believers, understand what it means.

[runaway]

You know this thread is almost 2 years old? Your last paragraph is confusing.

If I were the lone giant among a race of tiny people, ant-sized or smaller, I'd absolutely subjugate them. I would make them terrified of me and enjoy every second of it. I think I made that pretty clear in this thread early on.

Are you sure ruling a race of tiny people like you suggest is the best way to do it even if your satisfaction is the end goal? What would you do if you annoyed them to the point that they would do anything that to get back at you and they ceased to care what happened to them?

Also, what would you do if you made them want to leave so that one night they abandon everything and the whole population makes a run for it?

[Thrylix]

You know this thread is almost 2 years old? Your last paragraph is confusing.

If I were the lone giant among a race of tiny people, ant-sized or smaller, I'd absolutely subjugate them. I would make them terrified of me and enjoy every second of it. I think I made that pretty clear in this thread early on.

Are you sure ruling a race of tiny people like you suggest is the best way to do it even if your satisfaction is the end goal? What would you do if you annoyed them to the point that they would do anything that to get back at you and they ceased to care what happened to them?

Also, what would you do if you made them want to leave so that one night they abandon everything and the whole population makes a run for it?

It's hard to imagine bringing them to a point where they ceased to care what happened to them. However, I would *want* to keep them in a state where they were experiencing a degree of despair, because then they would do anything I command, even if they were as mad as hornets.

The idea that overnight they would leave in some mass exodus would be hard to picture too. At that scale, I could locate them. I could also keep a number of them as perpetual hostages, by placing them in a glass bottle or something and keeping them with me at all times. I doubt they will be going anywhere when dozens of their wives or daughters are trapped in a bottle and stuck in the pocket of my shorts, especially knowing what I would be doing with them in my uh.. "personal time."

[runaway]

It's hard to imagine bringing them to a point where they ceased to care what happened to them. However, I would *want* to keep them in a state where they were experiencing a degree of despair, because then they would do anything I command, even if they were as mad as hornets.

The idea that overnight they would leave in some mass exodus would be hard to picture too. At that scale, I could locate them. I could also keep a number of them as perpetual hostages, by placing them in a glass bottle or something and keeping them with me at all times. I doubt they will be going anywhere when dozens of their wives or daughters are trapped in a bottle and stuck in the pocket of my shorts, especially knowing what I would be doing with them in my uh.. "personal time."

Well if you provoked the tiny people too much I’m sure some of them would have a strong reaction and they wouldn’t exactly have much left to lose if their lives are miserable already.

If I was a tiny person in that posistion I would make an escape plan and wouldn’t care about the life I was leaving behind. I would also give up hope on the hostages ever being given released because like you said they are “perpetual hostages”. If I was in that position I would gather up the people who I wanted to escape and send them all off in groups in different directions. Since not the whole population would be leaving it would take time to even notice we had gone. Even if some were located, the fact people split up means you are unlikely to find them all or even notice some of them are unaccounted for. Would you be able to stop a scheme like that? That’s why I don’t think ruling tiny people the way you suggest is the best idea long-term.

[Thrylix]

It's hard to imagine bringing them to a point where they ceased to care what happened to them. However, I would *want* to keep them in a state where they were experiencing a degree of despair, because then they would do anything I command, even if they were as mad as hornets.

The idea that overnight they would leave in some mass exodus would be hard to picture too. At that scale, I could locate them. I could also keep a number of them as perpetual hostages, by placing them in a glass bottle or something and keeping them with me at all times. I doubt they will be going anywhere when dozens of their wives or daughters are trapped in a bottle and stuck in the pocket of my shorts, especially knowing what I would be doing with them in my uh.. "personal time."

Well if you provoked the tiny people too much I’m sure some of them would have a strong reaction and they wouldn’t exactly have much left to lose if their lives are miserable already.

If I was a tiny person in that posistion I would make an escape plan and wouldn’t care about the life I was leaving behind. I would also give up hope on the hostages ever being given released because like you said they are “perpetual hostages”. If I was in that position I would gather up the people who I wanted to escape and send them all off in groups in different directions. Since not the whole population would be leaving it would take time to even notice we had gone. Even if some were located, the fact people split up means you are unlikely to find them all or even notice some of them are unaccounted for. Would you be able to stop a scheme like that? That’s why I don’t think ruling tiny people the way you suggest is the best idea long-term.

Their lives wouldn't necessarily all be miserable if they do what I tell them, though. Why would it be miserable?

[runaway]

Their lives wouldn't necessarily all be miserable if they do what I tell them, though. Why would it be miserable?

So if I was the size of an ant how would you treat me / what would you do with me if I did what you said versus if I rebelled against you?

[UniversalAlien]

Thrylix wrote:

If I were the lone giant among a race of tiny people, ant-sized or smaller, I'd absolutely subjugate them. I would make them terrified of me and enjoy every second of it. I think I made that pretty clear in this thread early on.

We have just seen an example of this in the United States where the last President, commander and dictator and chief treated the people of the US as little people and his opponents as bugs.

A pure psychopath he quit at the last minute as his 'little Trumpskies' were about to complete his coup and take over the United States - Someone convinced him to call his slaves off and tell them to go home.

The lesson here being - No matter how big you think you are there is a bigger giant ready to call your bluff.
- Weather that bigger giant really stands for the little people is still questionable ???

[Robert66]

... Being power-hungry and hubristic has helped humanity.

In that point, I think our under evolved, dark tendencies and animalistic instincts help us move forward. We humans are animals with dark tendencies. We (or at least most of us guys who are normal) love power.

No. Your dark tendencies and "normal" love of power define you, as part of a minority, not all of us. Humanity has progressed when humans have co-operated, or when desire for power and "bright" tendencies have combined in a leader. The human population has exploded by acts of love.

[Thrylix]

No. Your dark tendencies and "normal" love of power define you, as part of a minority, not all of us. Humanity has progressed when humans have co-operated, or when desire for power and "bright" tendencies have combined in a leader. The human population has exploded by acts of love.

In the scenario in question, the tiny race would still be cooperating. With a guy like me in charge, their survival would depend on it.

Also, there have been times in history when some civilizations had their most rapid periods of progress, technologically and economically, under tyrannical rule.

[Thrylix]

Thrylix wrote:

If I were the lone giant among a race of tiny people, ant-sized or smaller, I'd absolutely subjugate them. I would make them terrified of me and enjoy every second of it. I think I made that pretty clear in this thread early on.

We have just seen an example of this in the United States where the last President, commander and dictator and chief treated the people of the US as little people and his opponents as bugs.

A pure psychopath he quit at the last minute as his 'little Trumpskies' were about to complete his coup and take over the United States - Someone convinced him to call his slaves off and tell them to go home.

The lesson here being - No matter how big you think you are there is a bigger giant ready to call your bluff.
- Weather that bigger giant really stands for the little people is still questionable ???

That's not an apples-to-apples comparison though. Trump's influence could only ever extend as far as his office, money, and nutcase followers allowed it to. That's why it was a "bluff" as you call it: his control was pretty limited.

In my scenario, I am the "bigger giant" and there is nothing that comes close.

[runaway]

In the scenario in question, the tiny race would still be cooperating. With a guy like me in charge, their survival would depend on it.

Also, there have been times in history when some civilizations had their most rapid periods of progress, technologically and economically, under tyrannical rule.

That’s just it though they might not cooperate because they could well lose the will to give a dam about their survival if they were enslaved. Where’s the incentive to do your best as opposed to the bare minimum if you are a slave either way?

Also, I think the periods in history where civilisations experiences rapid progress under tyrannical rule was in spite of it, not because of.

[LuckyR]

No. Your dark tendencies and "normal" love of power define you, as part of a minority, not all of us. Humanity has progressed when humans have co-operated, or when desire for power and "bright" tendencies have combined in a leader. The human population has exploded by acts of love.

In the scenario in question, the tiny race would still be cooperating. With a guy like me in charge, their survival would depend on it.

Also, there have been times in history when some civilizations had their most rapid periods of progress, technologically and economically, under tyrannical rule.

Good news, dude. You can go out and terrorize actual ants and be their god right now, right here!!

... yet you don't. Why is that?

[Sy Borg]

I'm not sure I would want that level of responsibility. It's easy to imagine keenly charging into the project. However, given the importance of your role to the lives of many, each casual moment would feel like I was failing my little aliens. I like being a nobody.

[Thrylix]

Good news, dude. You can go out and terrorize actual ants and be their god right now, right here!!

... yet you don't. Why is that?

Because ants don't experience terror.

[LuckyR]

Good news, dude. You can go out and terrorize actual ants and be their god right now, right here!!

... yet you don't. Why is that?

Because ants don't experience terror.

They experience ant terror. Which is basically the same as ant sized human terror, so what's the real reason?