Monthly Archives: June 2020

Are we being controlled by something else?

Are we being controlled by something else? [ 18/6/20 ] What do you mean by “controlled”? Of course we are influenced by many levels of “stuff” that most of us are only vaguely (if at all) aware of. Many levels … Continue reading

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What evolutionary advancements are taking place in the human species?

What evolutionary advancements are taking place in the human species? [ 16/6/20 ] As others have noted, evolution is not about advancement, it is about differential rates of survival in different contexts. Right now, in terms of genetics, most people … Continue reading

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Tom again on understandings

[ 16/6/20 Tom again on facebook, in a thread I have been in for a bit, but I am separating this as a standalone] Now you are simply generating insults. I have been trying to explain some of the ways … Continue reading

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Why do we need ethics and culture?

Why do we need ethics and culture? [ 15/6/20 ] For me, ethics is a subset of culture. Ethics seems to me to be some evolved approximation to a set of prescriptions on activities that are either required to be … Continue reading

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Is humanity entering problems that no one has the ability to solve?

Is humanity entering problems that no one has the ability to solve? [ 15/6/20 ] Shaun Mootoo has most of it. Most problems have solutions that can be approximated at least well enough to survive. David Snowden does a great … Continue reading

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Strata in society?

Quora – At which point in time did we have the most dramatic imbalance in culture and intelligence between the different strata of society? Is it growing bigger? [ 15/6/20 ] Strata is a marginally useful notion. The discrepancy now … Continue reading

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Tom and Polarity again

[ 13/6/20 Tom’s Facebook page] I understand that you are committed to your interpretation in a way that admits of few alternatives, and I’ll give it another try. Consider an alternative interpretation of the same phenomena you observe. Yes – … Continue reading

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Sensemaking with Daniel

Daniel Schmachtenberger’s Facebook post [ 12/6/20 Daniel linked to 2 videos – saying we must watch both: and ] Both demonstrate classic failure modalities in sensemaking. Both oversimplify complex situations. You cannot simplify a person down to good and evil, … Continue reading

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Collaboration

Quora – Why do humans collaborate to the extent that they do? [ 8/6/20 ] Some aspects of the answer given here by others. It seems clear to me that the answer is deeply complex and contains some genetic elements, … Continue reading

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Illusions

Facebook – The scientific way of thinking is the only one that can be real, convincing and without illusions [ 8/6/20 ] Slight correction. Scientific thinking isn’t without illusions, it almost certainly contains many illusions, but it also contains mechanisms … Continue reading

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