Leo's Blog Discussion Mega-Thread

[Jehovah increases]

1 minute ago, Leo Gura said:

What connection?

Is there a connection between coffee and the human experience?

[Nemra]

26 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

What connection?

Is there a connection between coffee and the human experience?

Maybe, I don't know.

Don't the things any surviving thing consumes in long-term effects/changes them?

Why do humans even need to fill themselves with concepts that they think describe reality? Why and how did humans evolve to even care about such a thing, even if they don't care about truth?

I wasn't claiming that mushrooms are the sole reason, but they might be a significant one.

Edited 5 hours ago by Nemra

[Leo Gura]

17 minutes ago, Nemra said:

Why do humans even need to fill themselves with concepts

Has zero to do with mushrooms.

[Jehovah increases]

10 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

Has zero to do with mushrooms.

[Nemra]

22 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

Has zero to do with mushrooms.

So, what would you say has had a significant effect on the evolution of humans needing to make claims about reality?

Edited 5 hours ago by Nemra

[Jehovah increases]

That none of you know what insanity is and thank fucked your to dumb to know

Edited 5 hours ago by Jehovah increases

[Jehovah increases]

Is God an infinite fractile upon itself then Yes

Edited 4 hours ago by Jehovah increases

[Xonas Pitfall]

1 hour ago, Nemra said:

Why do humans even need to fill themselves with concepts that they think describe reality? Why and how did humans evolve to even care about such a thing, even if they don't care about truth?

Mosquitoes evolved to produce many offspring because the survival rate for each individual is low (Female mosquitoes typically lay a large number of eggs, with some species laying up to 300 eggs at a time), and most of them won’t make it past birth. You could think of it as each mosquito exploring a different "path" in reality, and natural selection acts as a filter, keeping only the ones that survive. At some point, evolution realized that if an organism could "pre-abstract" the consequences of actions by observing past outcomes, it wouldn't need to spawn multitudes of offspring just to ensure one survives.

This is especially important for animals that take a long time to give birth to a single offspring, making it impractical to have so many. The ability to predict and understand your environment became a huge evolutionary advantage, just like long-term memory. For example, if I can remember that the last five cavemen who went down a certain path didn’t return alive, I can deduce that the path is dangerous and avoid it. If I can recall past seasons, I can plan for the winter and manage my resources better. Even better, if I can understand the why behind the seasons, I can prepare for an early winter and avoid being caught off guard.

This cognitive ability is a huge survival benefit, and the same principle applies in the modern world. You want to know the truth about your business partner because you don’t want to be taken advantage of. You need to understand your romantic partner’s behavior to avoid planning a future with someone who might betray you. Career planning requires abstract thinking too: understanding how you might feel in different roles, anticipating the harsh realities of corporate work before you join. All of these are high-level, conceptual, abstract thinking required to survive most optimally.

In the past, understanding why thunder occurred helped you avoid placing your house in dangerous places. Today, if you understand why certain things happen, you can manage your life better. This is also why early religions and pagan beliefs developed; they sought to explain external forces beyond human control, so people could navigate their reality more effectively. 

"Okay, so I understand that a flood might happen at random times, and that’s not ideal. I don’t like that. Hmm, why does the flood happen? What’s the truth behind it? Oh, it must be a flood God! I should give sacrifices to the flood God so they won’t be upset with me! Of course!"

This is a primitive example of how truth-seeking happens.

Truth is both practical and, at times, impractical for survival. But it makes a lot of sense why we evolved to seek it.

Think of it like this: If you were inside a video game, wouldn't you want to know if there’s a “God mode,” a cheat, or a glitch you can use to navigate the game better? If you could understand how the game was made, you'd have an advantage and could use that knowledge to "win." This is highly appealing to the ego. Ego loves the idea of God, using it as a tool for survival. Little does the ego realize, it’s actually seeking its own self-annihilation with that exact wish.

Truth means understanding the cause, and most of the time, we seek to know the cause of things so we can navigate better.

Edited 4 hours ago by Xonas Pitfall

[Nemra]

58 minutes ago, Xonas Pitfall said:

At some point, evolution realized that if an organism could "pre-abstract" the consequences of actions by observing past outcomes, it wouldn't need to spawn multitudes of offspring just to ensure one survives.

Just saying that humans evolved the way they did because it benefited them doesn't say much for me in this case.

Humans could have survived the same way without ever radically changing in terms of cognitive abilities. Why would humans even develop to have abstract thought or to be able to contemplate reality? What would the benefit be if they could have survived like other animals?

[Husseinisdoingfine]

Its very sad to see what Jared Leto devolved to, I really liked his performance in American Psycho.

 

[Xonas Pitfall]

11 minutes ago, Nemra said:

Humans could have survived the same way without ever radically changing in terms of cognitive abilities.

That's a significant assumption.

Our ancestors, like Australopithecus, Homo habilis, and Homo erectus, lacked the advanced brain and cognitive abilities that define Homo sapiens. Their brains were smaller, which limited their ability to think abstractly, plan, or form complex social structures. Unlike animals that are better predators, faster, stronger, or more agile, our survival advantage came from our ability to think, create tools, and collaborate in large groups. Over time, those without these cognitive traits were outcompeted or wiped out, leaving Homo sapiens as the dominant species due to our brain's adaptability and flexibility. The approach you're suggesting was attempted in nature, and if anything, it was necessary for further development. These species were wiped out because they couldn’t survive, while we, Homo sapiens, remained due to our adaptability and cognitive abilities.

You see, we don't have many inherent genetic or physical advantages:

• Humans have an unusually large brain relative to body size, particularly in the neocortex, the part of the brain responsible for higher functions like reasoning.
• Highly developed hands, specifically opposable thumbs, which allowed for intricate tool-making and manipulation.
• Humans are also incredibly social animals, and our survival often depended on cooperation and communication within groups.

These are a few advantages we have, and all of them, to some extent, support the development of more complex structures of thinking and conceptualizing. If we were created to be exceptionally large, fast, or flexible, nature would likely have doubled down on those traits more. However, since most of our advantages lie in our brain structure, our ability to manipulate reality with flexible hands, and our social group dynamics, it made more sense for nature to emphasize these traits. Nature is very efficient at times.

[Leo Gura]

15 minutes ago, Husseinisdoingfine said:

what Jared Leto devolved to

I think he was always that way.

One does not merely devolve into being that way. Such a person never evolved in the first place.

Edited 3 hours ago by Leo Gura

[Jehovah increases]

2 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

I think he was always that way.

One does not merely devolve into being that way. Such a person never evolved in the first place.

1 hour ago, Xonas Pitfall said:

Mosquitoes evolved to produce many offspring because the survival rate for each individual is low (Female mosquitoes typically lay a large number of eggs, with some species laying up to 300 eggs at a time), and most of them won’t make it past birth. You could think of it as each mosquito exploring a different "path" in reality, and natural selection acts as a filter, keeping only the ones that survive. At some point, evolution realized that if an organism could "pre-abstract" the consequences of actions by observing past outcomes, it wouldn't need to spawn multitudes of offspring just to ensure one survives.

This is especially important for animals that take a long time to give birth to a single offspring, making it impractical to have so many. The ability to predict and understand your environment became a huge evolutionary advantage, just like long-term memory. For example, if I can remember that the last five cavemen who went down a certain path didn’t return alive, I can deduce that the path is dangerous and avoid it. If I can recall past seasons, I can plan for the winter and manage my resources better. Even better, if I can understand the why behind the seasons, I can prepare for an early winter and avoid being caught off guard.

This cognitive ability is a huge survival benefit, and the same principle applies in the modern world. You want to know the truth about your business partner because you don’t want to be taken advantage of. You need to understand your romantic partner’s behavior to avoid planning a future with someone who might betray you. Career planning requires abstract thinking too: understanding how you might feel in different roles, anticipating the harsh realities of corporate work before you join. All of these are high-level, conceptual, abstract thinking required to survive most optimally.

In the past, understanding why thunder occurred helped you avoid placing your house in dangerous places. Today, if you understand why certain things happen, you can manage your life better. This is also why early religions and pagan beliefs developed; they sought to explain external forces beyond human control, so people could navigate their reality more effectively. 

"Okay, so I understand that a flood might happen at random times, and that’s not ideal. I don’t like that. Hmm, why does the flood happen? What’s the truth behind it? Oh, it must be a flood God! I should give sacrifices to the flood God so they won’t be upset with me! Of course!"

This is a primitive example of how truth-seeking happens.

Truth is both practical and, at times, impractical for survival. But it makes a lot of sense why we evolved to seek it.

Think of it like this: If you were inside a video game, wouldn't you want to know if there’s a “God mode,” a cheat, or a glitch you can use to navigate the game better? If you could understand how the game was made, you'd have an advantage and could use that knowledge to "win." This is highly appealing to the ego. Ego loves the idea of God, using it as a tool for survival. Little does the ego realize, it’s actually seeking its own self-annihilation with that exact wish.

[Starlight321]

@Leo Gura

I want to make a comment about Leo's insight about play. The last few months I'm in a group of new agers that hosts raves and festivals almost every week and help there out.

Last weekend I made it my objective to have fun, especially because I noticed the last weekend I was trying things too hard. My intent was to enjoy the evening and connect to people and it turned out amazing.

 I was juggling with my led balls and then  I was dancing with my fan and people loved it. I was flowing with other flowartists and random girls and some guys together and fooled around a bit, throwing the balls back and forth and teasing one another and we all had a great time. The playing went so far that we created an impro performance and I and another girl came closer together and I notices that she was attracted to me but she pulled repeatedly slightly back when we became too intimate (it was still very intimate). I respected that and later I learnt that she has a boyfriend and that explained it all. She was with another more timid girl with whom I danced as well and I got her number and I'm planning on going on a date with her this or the next week.

So thank you for your advice it has already helped me and maybe some others as well. 😁

Prove of concept: when you see, talk to, have fun and work with always the same people you build your cirlcle of friends and that also helpes a lot and you will feel more comfortable to relax and have fun. I also noticed that after the events I will need 2-3 days to ground myself from all those phantasies and crazy believes (of course some of it is true and helpful). Your posts about spiritual phantasies and epistimology has helped a lot with seeing and thinking through it. So thank you all.

Edited 3 hours ago by Starlight321

[Nemra]

@Xonas Pitfall, why and how did Homo sapiens, before being Homo sapiens, get advanced cognitive abilities? What allowed them to be able to develop their cognitive abilities more than other animals?

I assume Homo sapiens were more or less like any other animal previously, cognitively speaking.

Essentially, my question is, what makes or allows any animal to go the route of cognitive development?

[Xonas Pitfall]

3 minutes ago, Nemra said:

@Xonas Pitfall, why and how did Homo sapiens, before being Homo sapiens, get advanced cognitive abilities? What allowed them to be able to develop their cognitive abilities more than other animals?

I assume Homo sapiens were more or less like any other animal previously, cognitively speaking.

Essentially, my question is, what makes or allows any animal to go the route of cognitive development?

I love these questions! Obviously, I am not saying I 100% know or there is a definite answer, but it can be fun to speculate!

1. Opposable Thumbs and Dexterity

Unlike most animals, our thumbs can touch the tips of our fingers, giving us the ability to grip, manipulate, and shape objects precisely. Imagine a caveman or early human experimenting with rocks, sticks, or bones, and discovering how to hold and craft them into more sophisticated shapes. Humans could begin to create tools that were more complex and adaptable, from simple cutting tools to weapons. This trait likely drove evolutionary pressure to maximize the use of our hands, as they became our primary tool for survival and innovation. Also, when humans started walking upright, it freed the hands for tasks other than locomotion. With free hands, early humans could use tools, carry objects, and build shelter. This change was a distinct break from our ancestors, as being bipedal allowed for more complex and multi-purpose hand usage, not just walking or gripping.

2. Cognitive Push for Survival:

Humans didn't have the physical power or speed of many predators. Unlike big cats, bears, or large primates, early humans were relatively small and physically weaker. But the lack of physical strength likely pushed humans to develop tactical thinking and strategies. Since we couldn’t outfight predators or rivals, we had to think and use tools to make up for it. This created a strong evolutionary push for higher cognitive function, such as developing advanced tool-making, hunting strategies, and social cooperation. Cognitive evolution became central to our survival and success. Different species have adapted to their specific ecological niches. For example, dolphins also have large brains, but their environment and survival strategies don't require them to build tools or create complex social structures in the same way humans do.

Larger brains are heavy and require a lot of energy, which means other traits might be sacrificed to allocate resources to brain development. In a predator like a lion, strength and speed were more important than cognitive complexity, so evolution didn’t favor larger brains. In contrast, humans faced survival challenges that pushed them toward brain development rather than just physical traits.

Elephants live in complex social groups and have a long lifespan, meaning they need advanced memory for navigating vast territories, remembering waterholes, and maintaining social bonds within their herds. Their intelligence is also crucial for empathy and problem-solving within social groups. Their large brains are vital for social interaction and memory, but they also come with high energy costs. Unlike big cats or prey animals, elephants invest heavily in social cohesion and environmental memory rather than in physical speed or strength.

3. Social Cooperation:

Humans are incredibly social animals, and some researchers argue that we might be one of the most social species on Earth. Cooperation and social bonds were essential for survival: sharing resources, protecting each other, and coordinating in hunting groups. But cooperation also required advanced cognitive skills like empathy, understanding others' thoughts and feelings, and communication. The need to cooperate in increasingly larger and more complex groups led to the development of language and more intricate social dynamics, which in turn required more sophisticated thinking.

Basically, every species has its trade-offs and benefits. Humans aren't as large as elephants to afford to not be quick or reactive, nor are we built for extreme speed like cheetahs, so we can't afford to completely ignore social cooperation, tool-creation, or higher cognitive development.

While this isn’t a fully clear-cut answer (since it’s all quite convoluted), the summary would be: we had certain natural predispositions, like hand dexterity and eventually bipedalism, which freed up our hands for manipulation. Once a species develops a unique ability (like dexterous hands), evolution often exploits that advantage because survival thrives on these specialized traits. Over time, these traits become more refined and specialized, leading to the development of other functions (in our case, the brain) that could have developed to support it. Instead of making the brain smaller, if we were, let's say, more specialized for vision like eagles.

[Rafael Thundercat]

15 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

My old style was not aligned with truth because triggering the ego is not an effective way of guiding people to truth.

My new style is more truthful, conscious, and loving. So I am not going back. Actually, even my new style will evolve into a more conscious and loving one.

My old ways were immature.

From my experience and interactions I also got the insigth that egos will always lash out, is very rare to have one ocasion where you will say deep truths and not touch the ego. My last experience trying to share the Video "What is Actuality " to a mindfull friend revealed this to me. One cant inpinge truth onto someone, some deep awakenings need to come from their own inner struggle, the same way anyone here knows how hard is to struggle for years just to breakthrough deceptions. Some rabbit holes are suppouse to go solo. 

[Rafael Thundercat]

1 hour ago, Husseinisdoingfine said:

Its very sad to see what Jared Leto devolved to, I really liked his performance in American Psycho.

I always felt a dark sinister energy coming from him long ago when I used to listen his songs. I thought was just marketing, but well, looks like for some people the PR and real life get emeshed. 

[Miguel1]

17 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

My old ways were immature.

I gotta show respect for such a level of maturity here.