It’s good to see Scott Alexander being recognised not only for his influence on folk music, but his beats, as he moves rhythmically, forcefully into unstoppable Dance. He got the moves.
Heron
Karma: 77
Inspired and inspiring. These tunes add another string to the Less Wrong bow. Catchy! (First favourites are The Road to Wisdom and The Litanies. [Profound stuff]Oh, and ‘Thought that Faster’.)
Yeah, I always want at least a run through the particular song’s Chorus, in an ‘All together, now!’ way. Singing can , for many, enhance communal fun, and the joy of togetherness.
Thanks!
Où?
Yeah, great examples, and thought provoking. I look forward to more...gentleness.
I laughed when I read ′ black box.′ Us oldies who predominantly use Microsoft (Word and Excel) and Google Docs*, are mostly bewildered. by the very language of computer technology. For some, there is overwhelming fear because of ignorance. Regardless of MScs and PhDs, I know someone who refuses to consider the possibilities of AI, insisting that it is simply the means to amass data, perchance to extrapolate. It is, I think, worth educating even the old folk (me) whose ability to update is limited.
And maybe Zoom, and some Social Media.
I agree that many of us outsiders would like to understand and utilise rationalist thinking. I did not, for example, notice the ‘rationalist’ take that ′ AI will become Evil Vaguely Judeo-Christian God who Tortures Us in the Future’!
This short post is astounding because it succinctly describes, and prescribes, how to pay attention, to become grounded when a smart and sensitive human could end up engulfed in doom. The post is insightful and helpful to any of us in search of clarity and coping.
This ‘medical miracle’ story engenders hope. To suffer a chronic illness and to have no tangible answers regarding (diagnosis for too many), treatment, or treatment that works, is disheartening, frustrating and draining. Here is a detailed account of one quest that, having exhausted the standard intellectual-medical approach, remarkably results in relief. This writer gets deeply into her specific experience, and the reminder that there is a case for exploring intuition, along with unlikely luck, is uplifting.
I appreciate the clarity of your distinctions. Being surrounded daily by obfuscation and lies (eg the media, politicians, and narcissists) makes for difficulties. Good nurses, or injecting doctors, successfully use distraction and play to reduce the likelihood of pain. When presented by lies eg ‘This won’t hurt,’ or ‘(Ignore the facts, ignore what your eyes/senses/insights tell you) Because I say it it is the truth,’ it interests me that people do not, often in great numbers, question the lies being told to them. Personally I find being lied to particularly upsetting, and believe I ought to have grown out of this as an old person! I now think of myself as an aspiring Quaker, who in fact functions as a Parselmouth.
The references to research for the clarification and countering of assertions, made in a previous piece on sleep, allows for useful knowledge sharing. And the examples of the effects of sleep deprivation are mostly hilarious!
Simply by the author stating and exploring examples of ‘greyed out options’ one is reminded of possible choices, some of which may benefit the reader. Feeling stuck, fettered, having little control, direction, without meaning or purpose, struggling, or subject to ennui, or varying degrees of stress or anxiety, might be helped by considering physical/psychological, actionable changes in behaviour. Trying new stuff/things/ways of being, may be at the edges of one’s thought or comfort zone; the reader is gently reminded to look. This writing gives me good pause; it encourages the act of reflecting on personal possibilities, and subsequent impetus to pursue something novel, (thereby challenging) which may be life enhancing.
Thank you for sharing your insights, and love of her poetry. Ignorant of her work I kept coming across her obituaries. Wiki provided an outline, you have provided a refreshing depth and clarity around her work for which I am grateful.
Glück, at a first glance, is generous with her thoughts
‘Honor the words that enter and attach to your brain.’
‘The unsaid, for me, exerts great power.’
‘Birth, not death, is the hard loss.’
I like this post because it is thoughtful and well expressed. Getting old leaves one very aware of one’s errors which as you say can lead towards self knowledge so that change will, of necessity, take place. Regret is therefore a learning opportunity for me but to suffer from hindsight is not useful. I think to be informed by mistakes is as good as it gets. Whilst it is not always the case that I won’t repeat a particular error, one hopes that one is learning! So, the option of regret, and how seriously to take oneself/one’s past thoughts or actions, is useful.
Beautifully expressed. It is always reassuring to read stuff which agrees with one’s understanding! My thoughts frequently veer between, ‘I need to say something or watch while they fall deeper into that particular abyss,’ and ‘Say nothing. Trust. They will work this stuff out.’ This post allows for pause, and for me to focus more on what humility looks like.
Based on this one comment I wonder whether you found a way to get round the uncomfortable public speaking thing. Whatever the case, your writing is refreshing, and interesting to read!
Your detailed recall of the stages of thought, feelings and actions you observed in yourself is clearly recounted here. It seems that you were able to soothe yourself through focusing on being in the moment. The ability to detach from /notice what’s going on around you and to choose ‘red car, red car...’ reminds me of my own attempts to focus on a basic meditation ‘rising’ and ‘falling’ of breaths, which is so challenging! It sounds like even recognising changes, for example to your visual acuity, you’re still able to exist in the present moment—that relates, I think, to a meditative state, which engenders calm. Thanks for sharing your insights.
Any monetisation could add to the funds of an agreed /a couple of agreed just causes. This, as opposed to individual acquisition of Good Heart Tokens, seems Goodest to me:)
I hate death metal. This is a great song!