My conscious mind is more disconnected from my natural human feelings and my natural human motives and agendas than most people’s is. As best as I can tell, that makes it more difficult for me to motivate myself to do things that any sane person would agree I need to do regardless of the details of what my goals or motives are. But also, as best as I can tell, my conscious mind is also significantly less prone to self-deception than most people’s is. (And yes, I realize that in this community, that is a boast.) The fact that the conscious mind tended to serve in the EEA as the public-relations officer of the mind does not in any way make it less probable that every human is completely dependent on the conscious mind for rationality—at least the kind of rationality necessary for science, philanthropy and effective pursuit of long-term self-interest.
My conscious mind is more disconnected from my natural human feelings and my natural human motives and agendas than most people’s is. As best as I can tell, that makes it more difficult for me to motivate myself to do things that any sane person would agree I need to do regardless of the details of what my goals or motives are. But also, as best as I can tell, my conscious mind is also significantly less prone to self-deception than most people’s is. (And yes, I realize that in this community, that is a boast.) The fact that the conscious mind tended to serve in the EEA as the public-relations officer of the mind does not in any way make it less probable that every human is completely dependent on the conscious mind for rationality—at least the kind of rationality necessary for science, philanthropy and effective pursuit of long-term self-interest.
I’m curious: in what way? Can you give examples?
I wrote that 23 months ago, and I no longer consider it true. Sorry for the drama.
Very important points.