The wide adoption of television made people more self absorbed. Now the wide adoption of smartphones has made it so much worse. You nailed it with the narcissism.
Uncertainty and the simplest explanations are the only option as far as I can tell. Its the only way to remain rational in a completely irrational culture packed with fragile egos.
Id like to add that most people do not possess the mental energy to remain uncertain, so they latch onto beliefs that are already laid out. We all need guidelines to live our lives, but not everyone possesses the ability to figure that out for themselves.
Always “rich” here with you - grateful. Important references. A good “appetizer.” But it’s the MEAL I am more keenly hungry for…thirsty for. Your “table” in this corner of the universe always delights. But we can’t always be eating can we? But we need to, at some point - yes? So while in this kitchen the invitation is to go beyond the basics…beyond the history…and wild craft some forest discoveries where whole eco-systems thrive …and learn why. Because after eating we live, daily, nightly. And we all want to do that well and gad- there are SO many examples of that going badly, horribly badly. Simultaneous but contradictory realities. It’s ALL possible…and what we put our attention on, grows. That’s updated physics. So if we do actually have sovereignty as “chef’s,” let’s dive in for a main course that thrives, nourishes and honors geometry and living exceptionally…my sleeves are rolled up - what’s next ?
Continues to be my favorite line in RTR - "don’t say anything or think anything, that you don’t want to become more true" So much regret at voicing the myth of the moment to witness it become truth of the time.
Others are far more eloquent than I, however I still felt compelled to thank you for another amazing newsletter. As most things seem to be going downhill around us, you remain a voice for hope and reason while always making use of sarcasm to perfection. May many lost souls find their way to this pot of gold.
"So what essential tools for sense-making do we need to consider? The long answer is a rigorous education in logic, rhetoric, and hermeneutics, as Plato would have insisted." Wouldn't it be great if that were back in fashion? Too bad Thomas Bayes wasn't Catholic - that entire triangle would be baptized.
Thank you for always trying to make sense of what seems like madness.
Good article. As table stakes, we could do a lot worse as a society than adopting these principles. There are details to consider, but that's only once you've been working with these principles for a while.
Pascal's wager could be enhanced by acknowledging that human beings are not blank slates, but have some deeply evolved psychological relationships with the natural and social worlds. So a pragmatic addendum could be made: There's a wide logical space of narratives, but some demonstrably lead to better mental health and better societal health. While we need to still remain epistemically humble, there is a benefit to elevating those possibilities that are healthy to believe and diminishing those that aren't.
Occam's razor has had multiple interpretations. Do you aim to limit the number of elements in your ontology, or simplify the frameworks in which those elements interact? How wide is your scope of consideration when evaluating simplicity? Here, I prefer a little-used argumentation style: Argument from coherence. This is different than coherentist epistemology which tries to provide a foundation for knowledge based on coherence. An argument from coherence takes the widest possible stance on human knowledge and favours the elegance with which all of those considerations cohere into a framework that requires as few post hoc, arbitrary "fixes" as possible.
The aforementioned modifications also affect the Bayesian approach insofar as the Bayesian approach only works when you have probability assessments of your premises. The aforementioned principles may end up modifying your credence in any particular premise.
This is great! I forgot about Robert Anton Wilson and reality tunnels.
“Instead the goal could be to develop a newer, more expansive and useful relationship to all the reality tunnels.” I love this framework.
I did my undergrad in Philosophy and wrote my capstone paper trying to refute Sextus Empiricus’s The Skeptic Way that posited that we should only go off the appearances of things and that we cannot know anything (for certain). I argued that we can have degrees of certainty, but over time I’ve come around to Sextus Empircus’s view that we can’t know anything for certain. And that terrifies me for some reason.
There’s comfort in thinking I know stuff, but I don’t think I know anything at all upon deeper investigation. I’m trying find comfort in uncertainty and build resilience in a time when everything appears to be collapsing.
Not trying to preempt anything Jamie, however I wondered about only trusting our experiences against your three criteria & playing off consensus sources against each other. I’ve come to trust the experiential drops in the ocean of my life the older I’ve got and discerning the meaning against the whole. Keep on keeping on love what you do.
While there is a bleakness that threatens to smother things :-), I do love Pascal’s line which still leads me to wonder about the propensity and efficacy of loving beyond certainty, when he said… “The heart has its reasons that reason knows not of.”
My wing suit is fragrance from an internal blossoming that enables me to influence my landing spot. I choose to believe that I’m not a flying landing on shit. At least on my better days :-). I choose to believe that there are many blossoms, even though there are thorns. And I want to be the butterfly or be or Hummingbird, that has a bit more say in the landing, and the pollen and fragrance I carry from within.
Jaime, as I consider creating an ethical cult-ure that factors way of living that invites me towards a happiness that makes sense, that I am unashamed of having, I continue to wonder about the connection and inspiration and healing and intimacy and the ceremonies that provide the sacrament expressions of things held deep within. Realizing that I may carry a queen bee sense within myself of inviting a hive. This is giving a sense of wonder about the necessary ingredients of the razor, the ledger, and wager. I am a creative rebel carrying a passion for revolution that leads to a rebirthing of the gladness to be alive in the unknown future, that remains able to be imprinted and impacted by my emergent desires as I encounter it as freshly as I can. The mystery and profundity of love touching difficulty, and touching fear… A different road. And that kind of road is one that I’m not afraid to walk.
Thank you again for a beautiful invitation to consider these things, jamie. It’s always welcome
This one was the one where I committed to an annual membership, and gifted another one to my partner in crime, as we both aim to navigate this crazy world and remain in shared reality as we attempt to deliver our mission- www.saveawarrioruk.org.
"...develop a newer, more expansive and useful relationship to all the reality tunnels." Interesting thought to consider. Thanks for making me think about this stuff Jamie!
The wide adoption of television made people more self absorbed. Now the wide adoption of smartphones has made it so much worse. You nailed it with the narcissism.
Uncertainty and the simplest explanations are the only option as far as I can tell. Its the only way to remain rational in a completely irrational culture packed with fragile egos.
Id like to add that most people do not possess the mental energy to remain uncertain, so they latch onto beliefs that are already laid out. We all need guidelines to live our lives, but not everyone possesses the ability to figure that out for themselves.
Always “rich” here with you - grateful. Important references. A good “appetizer.” But it’s the MEAL I am more keenly hungry for…thirsty for. Your “table” in this corner of the universe always delights. But we can’t always be eating can we? But we need to, at some point - yes? So while in this kitchen the invitation is to go beyond the basics…beyond the history…and wild craft some forest discoveries where whole eco-systems thrive …and learn why. Because after eating we live, daily, nightly. And we all want to do that well and gad- there are SO many examples of that going badly, horribly badly. Simultaneous but contradictory realities. It’s ALL possible…and what we put our attention on, grows. That’s updated physics. So if we do actually have sovereignty as “chef’s,” let’s dive in for a main course that thrives, nourishes and honors geometry and living exceptionally…my sleeves are rolled up - what’s next ?
To your lens I would add values that are inclusive, kind and fair.
Thanks for making me chuckle.
I’m feeling like we’re all golden threads that once woven together ‘make sense.’
Continues to be my favorite line in RTR - "don’t say anything or think anything, that you don’t want to become more true" So much regret at voicing the myth of the moment to witness it become truth of the time.
Others are far more eloquent than I, however I still felt compelled to thank you for another amazing newsletter. As most things seem to be going downhill around us, you remain a voice for hope and reason while always making use of sarcasm to perfection. May many lost souls find their way to this pot of gold.
"So what essential tools for sense-making do we need to consider? The long answer is a rigorous education in logic, rhetoric, and hermeneutics, as Plato would have insisted." Wouldn't it be great if that were back in fashion? Too bad Thomas Bayes wasn't Catholic - that entire triangle would be baptized.
Thank you for always trying to make sense of what seems like madness.
Great article thanks Jamie
Good article. As table stakes, we could do a lot worse as a society than adopting these principles. There are details to consider, but that's only once you've been working with these principles for a while.
Pascal's wager could be enhanced by acknowledging that human beings are not blank slates, but have some deeply evolved psychological relationships with the natural and social worlds. So a pragmatic addendum could be made: There's a wide logical space of narratives, but some demonstrably lead to better mental health and better societal health. While we need to still remain epistemically humble, there is a benefit to elevating those possibilities that are healthy to believe and diminishing those that aren't.
Occam's razor has had multiple interpretations. Do you aim to limit the number of elements in your ontology, or simplify the frameworks in which those elements interact? How wide is your scope of consideration when evaluating simplicity? Here, I prefer a little-used argumentation style: Argument from coherence. This is different than coherentist epistemology which tries to provide a foundation for knowledge based on coherence. An argument from coherence takes the widest possible stance on human knowledge and favours the elegance with which all of those considerations cohere into a framework that requires as few post hoc, arbitrary "fixes" as possible.
The aforementioned modifications also affect the Bayesian approach insofar as the Bayesian approach only works when you have probability assessments of your premises. The aforementioned principles may end up modifying your credence in any particular premise.
This is great! I forgot about Robert Anton Wilson and reality tunnels.
“Instead the goal could be to develop a newer, more expansive and useful relationship to all the reality tunnels.” I love this framework.
I did my undergrad in Philosophy and wrote my capstone paper trying to refute Sextus Empiricus’s The Skeptic Way that posited that we should only go off the appearances of things and that we cannot know anything (for certain). I argued that we can have degrees of certainty, but over time I’ve come around to Sextus Empircus’s view that we can’t know anything for certain. And that terrifies me for some reason.
There’s comfort in thinking I know stuff, but I don’t think I know anything at all upon deeper investigation. I’m trying find comfort in uncertainty and build resilience in a time when everything appears to be collapsing.
"So, don’t say anything or think anything, that you don’t want to become more true!"
Wait a second - really?? Don't think bad thoughts because they might come true?
I am not at all sure that, even if this is possible, it's a good idea.
Not trying to preempt anything Jamie, however I wondered about only trusting our experiences against your three criteria & playing off consensus sources against each other. I’ve come to trust the experiential drops in the ocean of my life the older I’ve got and discerning the meaning against the whole. Keep on keeping on love what you do.
While there is a bleakness that threatens to smother things :-), I do love Pascal’s line which still leads me to wonder about the propensity and efficacy of loving beyond certainty, when he said… “The heart has its reasons that reason knows not of.”
My wing suit is fragrance from an internal blossoming that enables me to influence my landing spot. I choose to believe that I’m not a flying landing on shit. At least on my better days :-). I choose to believe that there are many blossoms, even though there are thorns. And I want to be the butterfly or be or Hummingbird, that has a bit more say in the landing, and the pollen and fragrance I carry from within.
Jaime, as I consider creating an ethical cult-ure that factors way of living that invites me towards a happiness that makes sense, that I am unashamed of having, I continue to wonder about the connection and inspiration and healing and intimacy and the ceremonies that provide the sacrament expressions of things held deep within. Realizing that I may carry a queen bee sense within myself of inviting a hive. This is giving a sense of wonder about the necessary ingredients of the razor, the ledger, and wager. I am a creative rebel carrying a passion for revolution that leads to a rebirthing of the gladness to be alive in the unknown future, that remains able to be imprinted and impacted by my emergent desires as I encounter it as freshly as I can. The mystery and profundity of love touching difficulty, and touching fear… A different road. And that kind of road is one that I’m not afraid to walk.
Thank you again for a beautiful invitation to consider these things, jamie. It’s always welcome
This one was the one where I committed to an annual membership, and gifted another one to my partner in crime, as we both aim to navigate this crazy world and remain in shared reality as we attempt to deliver our mission- www.saveawarrioruk.org.
"...develop a newer, more expansive and useful relationship to all the reality tunnels." Interesting thought to consider. Thanks for making me think about this stuff Jamie!