Epiphenomenal Simplification
April 27th, 2024
With epiphenomalism, being human becomes a lot easier. We can be modeled as simple black boxes, void of a meaningful consciousness.
What I mean is that without the idea of a consciousness, good input guarantees good output in human beings. And I think viewed that way, you can live a well meaningful life. No more "ohh but I don't want that!" type bullshit. If you eat well, sleep well, exercise well, and socialize well, you will be happy. I rarely meet any human being who does all four consistently, and more likely than not, they fail at one of the four things.
No more, "ohh, consciousness, morality, this that." No more "ohh but this consciousness is who I am." No more "free will stops that from happening" type of nonsense. You can easily model a human and form them from the ground up.
I think good feelings beget good feelings. When we spend time with other people, we're really just looking for a good time. Not really this nonsensical "ohh abstraction abstraction bullshit."
It is funny, that in all my writing about abstract topics and armchair amateur philosophizing, I find that the abstract topics and philosophies are completely useless models.
Autism
The usefulness of a word is its ability to predict future outcomes. It's use is also in giving us emotions. Words are not useful for any transmission of truth...
The word "autism" is used by many as a label to gather under. To feel "oneness" with another person. Though the symptoms vary from person to person so radically, we are forced to call it a "spectrum."
I am led to believe that this abstraction, this word, may have little to no predictive power. All it tells me is that there is dysfunction within the person. That the person is different, somehow, than other people. It certainly makes me feel good to label myself as such, but I don't want to. Feeling good is nice, but I want to truth. I want a solution. I want something productive and with strong predictive power on how to overcome problems.
Autism, is a way of identifying problems. It is a word originally to diagnose problematic persons. Now it's a banner to rally under as some sort of minority group. We really have to reconsider the use of a word and why we are rallying under the word. If it is just to feel good, by all means, keep with it. But please recognize the truth of the matter. It is a vague word used to feel good about oneself.
I search for a cure because it is a disability for me. The CDC considers ASD a disability. Many people on Reddit identify in their consciousness as autistic, and that is fine. I don't identify with the words anymore, as I've mentioned before I don't believe they're any marker for truth. They only shut you off and lead you off to a poorer or wealthier model of the world (not a reality of the world.)
I think I will continue to eat fermented foods. Reduce inflammation. Exercise lots, and try to change my epigenetic expression. Sleep well. I don't know if I can ask anymore.
Slate Star Codex: Feeling Bad
Kinda just realized I sound like those Slate Star Codex "rationalists"! I tried reading some of the SSC blogposts again, it's kinda hard and unbearable.
Kinda realized I sound like that too!
Lighten up I guess? I wonder how I come off to other people.
Well at the end of the day, I am trying my best to feel better. You know, being emotionally well. Rationally, I know I am an okay person. I express odd opinions that aren't acceptable, but doesn't everyone have those opinions?
But emotionally I feel off sometimes. Like yesterday. Just pure despair.
I will admit that I had an asthma attack the whole day yesterday. Weezing for twenty-four straight hours. I took an inhaler puff before I went to bed, and wallah, I woke up this morning feeling okay.
Sigh. My health really does tie into my mental health doesn't it...
I can sympathize with women who get PMS? I kinda get it... a pained body just doesn't feel... good.
DUH!
Especially when you feel like you're dying.
I recently did research on PMS reduction. I read the going sugar-free can help reduce PMS symptoms. It's hard though. I understand how diet is a touchy subject for women (and men.) Though in my life, I was never really given many free passes (you're skinny! You need to eat more! And that's acceptable to tell me. Yeah, so much for gender equality, huh. How many people have made comments about my diet and how I can't make comments about other people's diets... sigh. I do feel it's a bit unfair, but perhaps it's because going sugar-free isn't normalized? Socialization isn't really about information passing at all is it...)
(Socialization... truth... is the expression of hierarchy isn't it? Gosh, here I go again on some ultra-rationalist tirade. I'll pass this time.)
I do repeat myself a lot on this blog. I hope that it doesn't bore people out. Or bore me out. But hey, I think my worldview is pretty unique. Or is it? I mean how many epiphenomenalists do you know?
Or rather I should be asking, how many epiphenomenalists do you want to know? Ahahaha.
Well, cheers to me being a fool. Maybe I'll find something out in this lifetime. Maybe not.
