it’s like when you really know who you are, you don’t overthink it, it’s like a cat, you know it’s not a dog, you know it’s not a mouse, you know it has whiskers and a tail and a smug look on its face you’re not CONSIDERING if it’s better than other animals or worse, …
Tag: Psychology
Empathy Is Not Morality
Empathy is but a tool It facilitates collective action It also sabotages collective action Empathy is a tool, it’s a bias in favour of cooperating with others (Empathy’s role was to counterweight the innate selfishness — in favour of a potentially more robust tribal design) If cooperation is impossible — it is …
The True Meaning of “Beginner’s Mind” (Is Where Ego Resist)
What if I’m wrong What if I’m nothing special What if I fucked up What if all that is really fucking stupid What if they have a point What if they have a point What if there is an exception What more can I do What more can I do What’s the better way What …
Emotions Are Signals and Ends, Not Truth
Emotions are not rational or irrational It’s but a signal, But they are also an end It is thus misleading to consider them in terms of rationality, Their only rational or irrational element is our attitude and interpretation of those emotions But it’s also misleading to NOT incorporate them as crucial variables in …
The Soft-Fantasy Mindset
The soft-fantasy mindset is not a full-on fantasy You don’t believe any random nonsense that’s pleasant to imagine, Incoherence, conflict with the consensus, conflict with the authorities’ position — are all enough to dissuade you from proudly asserting your belief in some magical phenomenon you’re more sceptical than that: maybe divination doesn’t exactly …
Criticise Ideas for Truth, Judge People out of Practicality
There’s this idea: to criticise ideas (not people) But it becomes difficult when it’s the PERSON that is the problem, not particular idea, that they’re conveying at the time How is the person a problem? Well a person is a set of characteristics A particular set of characteristics is more prone to give …
how to GET WHAT YOU WANT (2026 version)
You getting what you want is NOT completely mysterious, but it is confusing First It has to be POSSIBLE, and preferably plausible There are CRAZY goals that are likely impossible -having everything, sacrificing nothing -being remembered, immortal physically or historically -having THAT PARTICULAR thing, that particular way -etc Then there are AMBITIOUS …
OUTRAGE Is How You Affirm Yourself (by Contrast)
For something to exist as a distinct entity, there must be some attribute which distinguishes it from something else If there’s none, or we can’t perceive it — then it blurs with that other thing — and is not recognised as distinct Conversely the greater the contrast the more something stands out And …
Meaningless Comparisons
For a comparison to make sense — it has to be meaningful Otherwise it’s meaningless, obviously When it’s meaningless — it’s rather useless, or at very least misleading What is better? Cats or washing machines? Green or furry? Rich vs sunny? Having tail or having little debt? Like is this meaningful? Obviously it’s …
Private Worth vs Seriousness
Seriousness should be earned, respect should be earned Your viewpoint is worthwhile merely because it is yours, when it is honest. I agree But that doesn’t mean it earned the attention of others (NOR does it mean that those viewpoints that have the attention of others — were earned) A viewpoint can be …