axiom

Models can convince us we understand something, no doubt.

@Carl-Richard Good stuff. It’s well established at this point that reduction of activity in the default mode network (task negative) is the common demoninator in mystical experience, flow states, meditative states, peak states on psilocybin, etc. All of which miraculously reduce depression. Another profound way this can be conceived is Metaconsciousness as separation from God - the recognition of our nakedness. That’s the meaning of those verses. One of the cool things about Gary Weber is that when pushed, he’ll admit there’s no choice. All of this is just happening. I like him.

Do you see their one-child policy - and resulting demographic cliff - as something that poses economic risk to China, and if not, why not?

The energy bill (apparent fitness payoff)

Right, exactly - convenient fictions. That’s all we ever have, but we like to grandstand.

Humans talk a lot about truth when what they usually mean is expedience. I think it’s quite nice to refer to this as truth with a small ‘t’, or perhaps “truth” (in quotes)

@Oeaohoo it depends what you mean by truth. In my opinion, Truth (capital T) has infinite resolution and thus cannot be circumscribed nor even approximated by any human model. That is not to disregard the apparent usefulness of some human models which attempt to expediently approach truth (lower case t) for survival purposes, entropy reduction etc.

It’s a model of the world. One model of countless models. A model is just a model, and should never be confused with the thing in itself. Sure, it makes things bite-sized and more easily digestible. This is naturally very comforting. It provides an easily- understood and convenient recontextualisation of one’s own life. That is: the model is unlikely to be perpetuated by those self-identifying as beige. But the apparent correctness of a model or lack thereof is always a function of resolution. Since there are always higher and lower resolutions to explore, no model can be said to be veridical or final. This applies to even generally unchallenged ideas such as entropy (oil and water separate into their constituent elements and thus can be seen as negentropic), so it can certainly apply to something as banal as Spiral Dynamics. The point here is to be cognizant of resolution before over-excitedly shoehorning one’s favourite political gripes and most-disliked public figures into convenient boxes, even if it temporarily makes the world seem like less than chaos.

That would be a shame, but I suppose there’s always a chance that I just understand it better than you do.

@Kksd74628 They don’t think so (because they’re not conscious). They only think they think so ;-)

Capitalism has been funding all other “isms” since 4000 BC.

Free market dynamics can weed out the greediest. Too much greed becomes uncompetitive. Arguably the problem is interventionism again in that regulation encourages lobbying, creates artificial barriers to entry, and prevents the tipping point from occurring. We can learn from rewilding.

I know, right? Eating all animals including humans is ethical, provided they are raised well and killed well. I don’t understand why more people don’t get this. If animals could speak most of them would want to be eaten anyway.

Spiral dynamics is arbitrary nonsense.

Good debate:

@ActualizedJohn When the body appears to die, it will be very obvious that there is no reality to death beyond concept. There is no you that is actually there to die. “Death” is just life without apparent attachment and seeking.

Reality is facing death alone in a hospital bed, most likely in pain, and with regrets.

You’re not straining hard enough. You must really, really try until you go red in the face.

Tell them over and over again how right you are. If that fails, then you could wear a sandwich board, set up peaceful (at first) demonstrations, and lobby government to mandate ‘God Realisation’. Failing that, kidnapping and torture.

He wanted to save society from the “woke mind virus” as he puts it. He also wants to use Twitter as a testbed and population catalyst for X. Twitter isn’t going to fail with Elon at the helm. Far from it. The human need to incessantly talk shit should not be underestimated.

Christopher Hitchens was the best of both. A natural contrarian able to rip anyone to shreds on either side of any debate just for his own amusement. His secret weapon was a near-perfect knowledge of history. He understood the enormous demonstrable hypocrisy of those claiming moral superiority on the left or the right. Political jousting for him was a sport. No one has ever equalled him really. An actual genius. Today, Douglas Murray is probably smarter than JBP and would certainly be considered right wing. Some consider him an heir to Hitchens, but I don’t think so - he’s not really a contrarian and genuinely believes his own arguments.

Yes, an empty concept - just like the self. There is no you to be directed.

Spirituality is an excuse to keep dreaming.

Yes, but it’s not strictly propaganda. It might be better termed an overreaction. Andriy Biletski, the founder of Azov Batallion (and previously Svoboda) was released from prison and recruited on 24 February 2014 (by the CIA and MI5) to lead a fight against the Euromaidan protests - all part of the western coup to depose Yanukovych who was later tried for treason. Here’s a leaked 2014 phone call between Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and US Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt where they discuss coup logistics: Putin has referred to this as a “fascist coup” which is only part of the story. It was more a Western coup which made use of fascists. Yes, they are useful friends to Washington.

@VincentArogya What is an ocean without any water?