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0.1 About
– 0.1.1 “Philosophy”
– 0.1.2 Subjects
– 0.1.3 Philosophy of Life
– 0.1.4 How It Came About
– 0.1.5 What It Brought
– 0.1.6 Did I Copy This Person?
– 0.1.7 More On

0.1.1 “Philosophy”

To most people, philosophy is “a subject so complex and confusing, that there are no actual answers nor applications in the real world.”¹ It’s somewhat true; philosophy has, indeed, yet to help anyone build their rocket ship.

I used to dislike philosophy. In my eyes, philosophers seemed unfit, unhappy, broke, envious, resentful, like most people…the field “looked” like a whole bunch of lies.²E.g. People who study ethics don’t act more ethically.

To this day, I’m only interested in the “philosophy” that brings results–‘truths’.³Truth is what brings results.

(Though, many questions are, indeed, interesting.⁴There’s nothing wrong with contemplating them!)

0.1.2 Subjects

This whole thing covers:

• Epistemology
• Metaphysics
• Ethics(morality)
• Life(psychoanalysis)*

They’re all influence-less…I think.⁵I’ve had inspirations here and there, but at the end of the day, I came up with the logic.Except, my ‘theory of knowledge’ mostly comes from David Deutsch⁶This might include Karl Popper.…although not mentioned in this blog.

All other subjects don’t matter to me, except ‘logic’, which I’m studying.⁷Logic is more mathematical than philosophical. It’s not individual progress. I won’t find anything new, on my own (like math).

0.1.2 Philosophy of Life

The philosophy of life isn’t “really” philosophy…but it’s truth.⁸It explains 99% of life for 99% of people.

All the philosophy leads to the philosophy of life. That’s what this is about (for me).

It’s clearly not perfect. But hey, it works.

On the philosophy of life

0.1.4 How It Came About

I grew up miserable; I was always unhappy, and I was always anxious.

And I didn’t want that. I mean, would I have to keep being miserable for the rest of my life? That sucks! I was getting tired of it.

My mind wondered about it for quite a while. I read stuff on the internet, watched stuff on YouTube…over time, I found truths here and there, and recently, they’ve all come together. Not chronologically, nor backwards.⁹ I still have no idea how.

I didn’t realize that they were philosophical, for a long time. For one, I’ve never read a single philosophy book!

0.1.5 What It Brought

Personally:

• I’ve been dealing with anxiety(doubt) every night. Not anymore.
• I was resentful about my circumstances. Not anymore.
• I had severe focusing issues.¹⁰I literally couldn’t read a single page of a book without wandering off.It’s a lot better now.
• I now have clarity in life.
• I don’t get lonely anymore.
• I got rid of emotional volatility.¹¹Although, I was naturally calm. But, I’m definitely more relaxed.

0.1.6 “Did I Copy This Person?”

Yes.

Name any person that comes to your mind. Did I copy them? Yes. Even if I don’t know them, or any of their concepts, I copied their works.

I sincerely believe that none of this is original. The ideas just came to me, and these posts just organized them.

Don’t give me any credit.

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1.1 Absolute Truths

1.1.1 Information Tree

• ‘Sensory inputs’: Information communicated by the body.
• ‘Thoughts'(idea): Information created by the mind.
  • ‘Impressions’: Abstract imaginations¹²E.g. When I look at a book, all I see is a set of colors. Yet, there’s a concept called “books”—it’s an abstraction. Hence, I can imagine a (whole new) book in my head.; recreation¹³not necessarilyof sensory input¹⁴not necessarily.
  • ‘Explanations'(fact/given): Descriptions of “why” to impressions.
    • ‘Beliefs‘: (Currently) unfalsifiable explanations.
    • ‘Knowledge’: Falsifiable explanation.
      • ‘Trivias’: Unimportant knowledge.¹⁵Important means meaningful; significant(consequential) to that which matters.
      • ‘Truths‘: Important knowledge.
        • ‘Secrets‘: New¹⁶creativetruths.

1.1.2 Absolute Truths

• ‘Absolute truths’ are unfalsifiable; they’re totally foundational.¹⁷They can’t be proved either; I just can’t conceive them being false–thus “absolute”.¹⁸E.g. If 1+1 were to be 3, could I comprehend that?
• 3 things are unfalsifiable: ‘math’¹⁹fundamental mathematics; axioms, at the least, ‘logic’²⁰formal logic; deductions, at the least, ‘(my) experiences’.²¹Every implication about an experience may be false. Yet, the experience itself must be true.²²Thoughts are also experiences.

1.1.3 What Am I?

• I am that which experiences: ‘soul’.
• ∴ I must exist.²³If the experiences are true, there must be an entity that experiences the experiences.
• However, the ‘soul’ doesn’t exist within reality.²⁴Essentially; there’s no evidence, besides my own experience (which isn’t externally provable, either).

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1.2 Essential Truths

1.2.1 Parts of Reality

• Essentially, there are 2 parts to reality:
• ‘The physical’ is made up of A. Matter, B. Physics Laws.
• ‘The narrative’ is made up of A. Entities, B. Narration.
• More on

1.2.2 The Narrative & The Physical

• They coexist & correspond to each other, in different planes; neither comes first:

1. ‘The narrative’ is an abstraction of the ‘physical’; it’s created/corrected upon ‘the physical’.
2. However, ‘the physical’ (& its physics) isn’t absolute; it relies on induction (which isn’t absolute).²⁵Induction that, the laws of reality stay consistent; physical reality can change (or disappear) tomorrow for an “external” reason.²⁶Also, the induction that, reality itself will continue to exist.
3. On the other hand, ‘the narrative’ is tied to the experience, which is absolutely real.
   Which means:
4. The experience(absolute) is in the form of ‘the narrative’, based on ‘the physical'(not-absolute),
   THEREFORE:
5. ‘The narrative’ and ‘the physical’ are co-dependent, AND
6. Like ‘the physical’, ‘the narrative’ is not-absolute, AND
7. Both are necessary for reality to essentially exist.²⁷Absolute truths lead to nothing on their own; reality doesn’t exist without ‘the narrative/physical’. Without ‘the physical’, reality doesn’t exist in the first place. Without ‘the narrative’, there’s no experience of reality, which is no different than reality not existing.

1.2.3 The Paradox, Simply:

• My “self” is made up of the physical reality, AND,
• The physical reality can be perceived and understood only through my “self”.²⁸Perception & understanding are narrative concepts.
• ∴ ‘The physical’ and ‘the narrative’ coexist.²⁹Via circular reasoning

1.2.4 Essential Truths

• ‘Essential truths’ are the truths of reality(narrative/physical).
• No ‘essential truth’ is absolute.³⁰Reality itself isn’t.However, some are closer to the essence of reality.
• The truths that more accurately represent the essence of reality are more:
  A. Consistent, B. Universal, C. Precise. HENCE,
• The hallmark of ‘essential truths’ is predictiveness (of reality outcomes).
• If a group of truths relies on another, that other group is more ‘essential'(closer to the essence).³¹E.g. Societal truths are largely human truths; the latter is “truer”.

1.2.5 Truth Spectrum

• All things that work are based on some level of truth.³²Truth is what works.
• Essential truths lie on a spectrum (physical — narrative).
• Science³³referring to the reductionist truths(explanations)(of “x”) tends left; Philosophy³⁴referring to the holistic truths(explanations)(of “x”) tends right.³⁵I.e. The philosophy of learning/businesses/manufacturing/etc. OR The science of learning/businesses/manufacturing/etc.
• Reduction vs. Abstraction

1.2.6 Science vs. Philosophy

1. The closer to the physical a truth is, the more essential it tends to be.³⁶Because the narrative is based on the physical, the more physical tends to be more essential.BUT,
2. Inversely, it’s less effective in a more complex system.³⁷The butterfly effect takes hold. With low precision, narrative truths perform better.³⁸Narrative truths require more nuance(qualitative) than precision(quantitative).THEREFORE,
3. ‘Particular knowledge’³⁹the product of (mostly) ‘science’and ‘abstract knowledge’⁴⁰the product of (mostly) ‘philosophy’are complementary.

1.2.7 Ship of Theseus

Ship of Theseus

• The problem comes from merging multiple levels of abstractions.
• (Purely) Narratively,⁴¹looking at the whole,the ship remains “Theseus’s ship”.
• In reduction,⁴²looking at the parts,the ship doesn’t stay the same.⁴³(Purely) Physically, the ship doesn’t even exist.

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2.1 This Reality

2.1.1 What is This Reality?

• It’s a simulation (or equivalent).⁴⁴Regarding cause and effect, something must be created for it to exist. No reasonable explanation is possible without cause and effect.
• God/Human(s) created this reality.⁴⁵God is a placeholder for “idk”.
• “Which one” doesn’t make a difference, essentially.⁴⁶The creator of the simulation is no different than a God, from within.⁴⁷I’m an omnipotent being to the simulation that I create; I can change the laws of physics in an instant, change the past, etc. How isn’t that God?⁴⁸Even the only understandable purpose of creation(entertainment) is the same.

2.1.2 How “Real” is This Reality?

• From God’s(external) POV, it’s as real as a “bunch of lines of code”.
• From within, it’s as real as it can get, because it’s all there is.

2.1.3 Sidenote: God

• God: the entity that created this reality
• Absolutely, there is God (or equivalent).⁴⁹Something must be created to exist.
• There is no (evidence of) God, essentially.

2.1.4 What is Life?

• Extrinsically? There is no answer to be found in this reality; there’s no information about the “outer” reality.⁵⁰A sufficient evidence to an answer would be either superphysical or impossibly improbable…similar to the existence of God.
• Intrinsically? It’s a set of experiences with a storyline; It’s a story (narratively).⁵¹Physically, life doesn’t exist in the first place.

2.1.5 Storyline

• Any action/event comes with a span of time.⁵²“Swinging a stick” happens across a certain time frame.
• At a given moment, the past & present blend into an experience, absolutely.
• Essentially, every explanation of an event⁵³“what’s happeninguses cause and effect.
• Physically, the cause is the past;⁵⁴That’s the scientific explanationit’s a “how” question.
• Narratively, the cause is the past “and” the future(motives); it’s a “how & why” question.
• A ‘storyline’ is the narrative explanation.

2.1.6 What is The Meaning of Life?

• This is a narrative question.⁵⁵“Meaning” is a narrative concept.
• It’s actually ambiguous:
  • A. What is life?
  • B. What’s the purpose of living?
    • There is no evident extrinsic answer; God didn’t tell me.⁵⁶The follow-up question to any answer would be “why is ‘that’ the purpose?”, which can go on forever.⁵⁷The only reasonable explanation is entertainment (which is a bad explanation, but an explanation nonetheless).
• Nothing matters absolutely.
• ∴ I’m left with 1 question⁵⁸the “real” question; the question that matters: Why should I “rather” live life? What’s in it for “me”?

2.1.7 What Do I Live For?

• As life itself has no innate significance, no event of life has an innate significance.
• That’s the point; I can choose what matters (to me), essentially.
• Intrinsically, I live for the experiences I want to experience; experiences that I find pleasing or fulfilling.
• Those experiences, with a journey(storyline) attributed, are inherently valuable (to me), because “I”⁵⁹the “experiencer”; the audience of the moviefind them intriguing.

2.1.8 More On

• If there’s pleasure/fulfillment, life is good enough; I don’t need an extrinsic answer.⁶⁰Why do I watch a movie?
• It’s only when the experience is unsatisfactory do I ask why.
• More on

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2.2 The Self

2.2.1 My “Self”

• The ‘self’ is the thing that connects ‘reality’ & ‘soul’.⁶¹It’s the bridge between the two)It’s the body that interacts with reality.
• Physically, there is no ‘self’.
• Narratively, there is ‘self’.

2.2.2 Conscious

• The ‘conscious’ is the reality-entity of “me”.⁶²It’s the only un-removable part of “me”.
• Essentially, “I” am the ‘conscious’.
• It’s the part of the ‘self’ that’s connected to the soul (via consciousness).
• It’s able to be aware.⁶³Although generally idle.
• Awareness is meta-perception; it’s perceiving the perceiving of the perceptions.⁶⁴It’s not looking at the hand, but being aware of the looking at the hand.
• It has a weak(slow) processing power. However, it can override the unconscious in way of awareness.
• It can’t multitask; instead, it can expand/select the scope of awareness (and coordinating the unconscious).⁶⁵I can focus on “kicking the ball” or “extending the leg”. (that’s subconscious activity)

2.2.3 Unconscious

• The ‘unconscious’ is the group of processing units performing most work.
• (With multiple units) It can multitask, as a whole.
• It functions automatically (without awareness), according to its programming.
• The ‘unconscious’, as a whole, is always active.
• It has a strong(fast) processing power.

2.2.4 Mind

• The ‘mind’ is the generator of thoughts.
• Mostly, it uses the unconscious’ processing power to generate ideas.⁶⁶Ideas are partially-randomized connections of knowledge(stored information).
• It also creates emotional feelings, based on the unconscious’ analysis of the sensory inputs.

2.2.5 Body

• The ‘body’ is the part of the ‘self’ that’s connected to reality.
• The (un)conscious sends orders to the ‘body’; the ‘body’ returns feedback(sensory inputs -> feelings).

2.2.6 Circuit

• Thoughts/Emotions are the mechanisms that the (un)conscious uses to express itself.
• Those expressions lead to further actions, and are sent through the consciousness (paired with the sensory inputs).

2.2.7 Is there Free Will?

• Absolutely? No.⁶⁷God knows what I’ll do next.⁶⁸Even if somebody’s controlling from the outside, the characters themselves don’t have free will.
• Physically? No.⁶⁹Physics is deterministic.
• Narratively? Yes.⁷⁰I experience the making decision.⁷¹Also, reality is largely unpredictable.

2.2.8 Free Will

• Awareness is ‘free will’, narratively.
• The conscious can be aware; it can act in ‘free will’; it’s autonomous. The unconscious is the opposite.
• Only the conscious has ‘free will’; the ‘self’ without the conscious has no ‘free will’.⁷²“I” have ‘free will’. My ‘self’ does not.
• True Free Will

2.2.9 Movie or Game

• Physically, life is neither.
• Narratively(extrinsically), life is a game.⁷³As it seems like I have free will.However:

1. The unconscious is in charge most of the time.⁷⁴As it’s more powerful.
2. The conscious has the capacity to reprogram the unconscious, and change the ‘self’ & its circumstances

• ∴ Life is a movie where I’m the director.⁷⁵The director who creates the set and guides the actor.
• Reality is the setting, my ‘self’ is the main character, and I’m the audience.
• Life is a movie

2.2.10 More On

• The conscious ability to proactively change the ‘self’; that’s free will.
• The ability to have complete control of the movie; that’s ownership.
• Any entity that doesn’t direct its movie is an NPC; the NPC does not even have free will, narratively.⁷⁶NPCs live completely reactive, predictable lives.
• The major separator between humans and animals is the presence of free will, and the potential for ownership.

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3.1 Contentment

3.1.1 Feeling

• ‘Feeling’ is buying into the pure sensory input and/or the narrative.
• ‘Feeling’ is both physical & emotional.⁷⁷They’re both sensory experiences.
• Overall ‘feeling’ is on a pain-pleasure spectrum (- to +)

3.1.2 Peace

• ‘Peace’ is:
• A. When the ‘feeling’ is at 0, (no +, no -).⁷⁸The default state is 0(not negative)
• B. When there are little fluctuations(conflicts) in feeling.⁷⁹In frequency & magnitude.
• On Peace

3.1.3 Delight & Suffering

• They are emotional feelings.
• The mind creates them using stories of the “(un)fulfillment of desires”.⁸⁰A physical pain can be interpreted into happiness or suffering.⁸¹It’s tied to the “consequential” part of ‘meaning’. (Not necessarily)
• On Desires
• The amount depends on the amount of desire.
• Most ‘delights’/’sufferings’ are totally imaginary.⁸²They’re not even narratively real.
• More on
• Conflict is not getting what I want; it’s unfulfilled desire(s) waiting to be fulfilled.

3.1.4 Joy

• This is another form of feeling.
• ‘Joy’ is entertainment; the beauty of the moment.
• It’s an artistic interpretation of the physical experiences.⁸³It’s tied to the “creative” part of ‘meaning’. (Not necessarily)

3.1.5 Meaning

• ‘Meaning’ is buying into the stories of life; something matters.
• ‘Meaningful’ events lead to ‘meaningful’ life; ‘meaning’ in life is ‘meaning’ of life.
• Significant events that happen to/for which that matter, are ‘meaningful’.⁸⁴Significant means it was creative/consequential.
• Overall sense of ‘meaning’ is on a ‘meaningless’–‘meaningful’ spectrum (0 to +).⁸⁵‘Meaningful’ means: A. Something matters a lot, and B. Much significant things happen to that something.

3.1.6 Contentment

• ‘Contentment’ is life satisfaction.
• Feeling + Meaning = Contentment⁸⁶Not literal math equation
• Reality – Expectation = Perceived Contentment
• The spectrum of ‘perceived contentment’ is ‘misery’–‘happiness’ (- to +).
• Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility applies.⁸⁷Repeated exposure “dulls” the misery/happiness.
• Loss Aversion applies.⁸⁸Losing $10 gives more ‘misery’ than gaining $10 gives ‘happiness’.

3.1.7 Big Misery

• When contentment is (-), there’s less to live than to die.
• Depression is when life satisfaction is at its lowest.
• A. Meaninglessness + a lot of pain
• B. Absurd level of pain (physical)

3.1.8 Primers

• ‘Primers’ are feeling-setups for an event.⁸⁹A ‘primer’ shifts the baseline emotional state towards a certain emotion.
• I have to be ‘primed’ for a feeling to experience it fully.
• ‘Primers’ are sensory inputs(music, scenery, etc.) AND/OR narratives(imagined deviations from expectations).
• Anxiety/Excitement is a sign of being narratively ‘primed’.
• Fear/Confidence exists when there’s perceived consequence(loss/gain).

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3.2 Intrigue

3.2.1 Intrigue

• Recap: Life is ultimately about the ‘intrigue’.
• The search for ‘intrigue’ only begins with ownership; the profound desire for ‘intrigue’ only manifests itself when there’s boredom (which exists in peace).
• I don’t get to choose what I’m ‘intrigued’ by, but I get to choose which one I get after.
• Everyone is uniquely ‘intrigued’ by different things.⁹⁰Even 2 people who like the same songs like different parts of it.

3.2.2 What’s intriguing?

• The less probable it seems;
• The bigger contrast there is;
• The more creative it is;
• The more unique the journey is;
• The more real it feels;
• The more romantic it is.

3.2.3 2 Parts of Intrigue

• The significance of the event (storyline);
• The beauty of the experience (sensory input).

3.2.4 In search of intrigue (opinion)

• A way to maximize (emotional) contrast is to maximize the suffering.
• However, it comes at the expense of happiness.
• Also, it’s unnecessary to create suffering, as the default human state is misery.
• Of all moments of misery, only 1 (the lowest) period of misery is relevant in the moment of happiness, in a given story.
• It’s preferable to maximize other variables.

3.2.5 In search of intrigue (opinion)

• I could try to make life more romantic by creating more romantic events.
• However, intentional romantic events aren’t as real; they’re essentially acted out.
• Also, it shifts the focus away from the results(desires), interfering with the actual outcome.
• Romantic events happen by themselves in the path of true desires, just unpredictably.

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4.1 Freedom

4.1.1 Freedom: Where I “Go”

• ‘Freedom’ is freedom from restraints.
• ‘Freedom’ is the prerequisite to boundless exploration.⁹¹Restraints of the mind/body/materials/people hold me back from exploring freely.
• With ‘freedom’, my actions are externally autonomous.
• Without ‘freedom’, I might have creative places to go to but I can’t actually go anywhere.

4.1.2 More On

• A side effect of freedom is ‘peace’, as the return to baseline.⁹²By getting rid of things to suffer from.
• Freedom = I don’t have to care about it.
• Another side effect of freedom is ‘energy’.⁹³By not leaking them in unnecessary ways.

4.1.3 Freedom of Mind

• It’s about resolving traumas (of the past/future).
• Uncontrollable thoughts
• (Not having pain thinking about anything)
• (And also, getting off the mind, and being in the present)

4.1.4 Freedom of Body

• It’s about fixing physical problems.
• (Not having pain moving the body)

4.1.5 Financial Freedom

• It’s about developing a 0-maintenance cost.
• (Not having to worry about money)

4.1.6 Social Freedom

• (Not having/wanting to depend on anyone)

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4.2 Independence

4.2.1 Unconscious Programming

• The unconscious functions (automatically) according to its ‘programming'(habits).
• As my unconscious is the main actor, the way it is ‘programmed’ determines how I think & act.
• Across my life, my unconscious has been ‘programmed’, by various motives, in ways I don’t even realize.
• It has to be ‘deprogrammed’, before ‘reprogramming’ it in the way I want.
• Talent + Programming determines outcome.

4.2.2 General Deprogramming

• Body movements⁹⁴e.g. walking form, hand gestures, speaking tone, blinking frequency, etc.are habits—they can be deprogrammed.
• Simple emotional responses⁹⁵to stubbing toes, broken glasses, strangled earphones, etc.are habits—they can be deprogrammed.
• Addiction is (primarily) a habit—it can be deprogrammed.
• Every action that isn’t conscious is a matter of simple habits.⁹⁶If I can’t change my habits, I don’t have independence(ownership).
  • Unless it: A. Is physical, OR B. Requires escape/deconditioning

4.2.3 Equivalence

• The unconscious programming is in accordance with my ‘self-image’; they always try to match each other.
• For every (sensory) experience, if there are mismatches: A. The program changes to fit the ‘self-image’, AND/OR B. The’ self-image’ changes to fit the programming.
• ‘Equivalence’ doesn’t happen if either part doesn’t exist: A. Some of my habits have nothing to do with my ‘self-image’. OR, B. Some pieces of ‘self-image’ have no corresponding actions/feedback.
• All major “habits”(behaviors) are connected to the ‘self-image’.

4.2.4 Self-Image

• It’s the collection of pieces that make me who I “think” I am:
• (My) Characteristics⁹⁷body, possessions, associations, knowledge, experiences, etc.+ What matters (to me)⁹⁸I.e. root points → Desires / Beliefs
• (They’re “all” pieces of ‘self-image’)
• Every piece of ‘self-image’ is part of me; to an extent, they’re ‘attachments’, strong or weak.
• By equivalence, the unconscious inevitably reverts back to the ‘self-image’; reducing the ‘self-image’ is necessary to deprogram the unconscious.
• On Self-Image

4.2.5 Attachment

• ‘Attachments’ are the pieces of ‘self-image’ that I feel the need to protect (being closely tied to me).
• They resist change.⁹⁹Pieces need to be removed/added to modify the self-image; attachments refuse to be removed.
• They cause emotional volatility/vulnerability.¹⁰⁰By having more things to protect & be happy/sad about.
• However, ‘attachments’ are necessary to create actions.¹⁰¹E.g. With no strong desire, why should I act?
• On Attachment

4.2.6 Independence: “Where” I Go

• ‘Independence’ is:

1. Independence from influences, by
2. Deprogramming the unconscious, by
3. Modifying the self-image, by
4. Disattaching from the (harmful, strong) attachments.

• It’s reducing the self-image down to the absolute necessary.
• With ‘independence’, my actions are internally autonomous.
• Without ‘independence’, I could go anywhere but wherever I end up going won’t be creative.

4.2.7 More On

• A side effect of independence is ‘peace’, as the reduction in fluctuations.¹⁰²By getting rid of things to react to.
• Another side effect of independence is an unbiased, no-filter view of reality.¹⁰³By removing distortions of attachments.

4.2.8 Escape

• ‘Escape’ is the escape from the ‘ego’.
• The ‘ego’ is an internal demon that craves status.¹⁰⁴It’s the product of a strong sense of self.
• A lot of attachments stem from the ‘ego’.¹⁰⁵Status is a “root point”
• Escape is about no longer being enslaved by the ‘ego’.
• On Ego

4.2.9 Deconditioning

• ‘Deconditioning’ is deconditioning from society’s conditioning.
• A lot of attachments are ‘conditioned’ by the society(other people), by: A. Me subconsciously adopting others’ attachments, AND/OR B. Others deliberately ‘conditioning’ me into attachments.
• The main theme of these attachments: goodness
• ‘Deconditioning’ is about rejecting social conditioning.
• On Conditioning

4.2.10 Sacrifice

• It’s a combination of time spent & pain(suffering).
• A lot of attachments come from ‘sacrifices’.
• They are sunk costs.

4.2.11 True-Self

• Once, I remove all the attachments, particularly from the 3 sources, I’m left with my ‘true-self’.
• Pieces of my ‘true-self’ are the parts of me that: A. I can’t change, AND/OR B. Are unique to me.
• They are: natural interests(intrigue) / talents.¹⁰⁶Which are similar.¹⁰⁶
• Attachments are explainable, and once understood, they naturally go away. Then I’m down to the unexplainable: the pieces of ‘true-self’.

4.2.12 On a side note

• Programming the self-image leads to a new self; it’s creating a new character that I will direct in making a new story(chapter).
• I don’t want to create a movie with too many themes.
• I don’t want to create a character with too many unnecessary details.

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4.3 Ownership

4.3.1 Ownership: “Where I Go”

• ‘Ownership’ is the complete ownership of the self.
• (The movements of the body, thoughts of the mind, emotions of the heart, pathway of life, etc.)
• True Free Will
• Complete ‘ownership’ is attained via freedom & independence.

4.3.2 Potential, Peace, and Journey

1. Once I completely ‘own’ myself, I have access to my full potential.¹⁰⁷There are no limitations left within.
2. Once I completely ‘own’ myself, I have peace.¹⁰⁸Nothing involuntarily affects my feelings.
3. With ‘ownership'(peace & potential), every (even the negative) experience will be voluntary and enjoyable.¹⁰⁹In the macro, under the umbrella of a story.

4.3.3 Self-awareness

• ‘Self-awareness’ is an absolute necessity; ownership is impossible without ‘self-awareness’.¹¹⁰Understanding opens the path towards ownership.
• The deeper the ‘self-awareness’, the more robust it is.
• It’s a product of self-examination.

4.4.4 Clarity

• ‘Clarity’ is a byproduct of self-awareness.
• I know who I am;¹¹¹What I want, What I have, etc. I know what I’m doing; I know why; I know how.
• It directly leads to potential & peace by:

1. Having an ultra-clear, concentrated desire (knowing what I want), AND
2. Having awareness of the present (knowing what I’m doing)

• Confusion, on the other hand, leads to paralysis/anxiety.

4.4.5 Towards Ownership

• All pillars of ownership (financial freedom, escape, etc.) are connected to each other; improving one leads to another; the concepts overlap.¹¹²E.g. Having freedom of mind helps with attaining social freedom; physical state affects mood.
• Ownership Progress Bar: (0 — Complete); ownership comes in gradual changes.
• The path towards freedom is characterized by: a sustained period of effort, followed by low maintenance.
• The path towards independence is characterized by: constant realizations and renouncements.
• Ownership, in general, comes with the direct modifications of self-image (by various techniques), and unconscious programming (by habituations).
• Above all, desire is the most powerful force of change.

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5.1 Morality (Individual)

5.1.1 Good or Bad

• Good/Bad ≈ Desirable/Undesirable
• Something is as good as it fulfills desires.
• ∴ Morality is fundamentally a personal preference.

5.1.2 What Morality is About

• Morality isn’t only about me; it’s about the interactions between entities.¹¹³Morality doesn’t exist with 1 entity.
• Specifically, it’s about fulfilling the desires of those that matter.

5.1.3 Who Matters

• Absolutely: No entity, other than me, matters.¹¹⁴First, the nature of their experiences is unclear.¹¹⁵Second, their existence is unclear.¹¹⁶Third, there’s no absolute reason anyway; it’s a narrative concept.
• Essentially, “who matters” is a preference; all standards of selection are arbitrary.

5.1.4 Association

• One major (historical) standard is association.¹¹⁷(Family, friends, colleagues, etc.)
• The tighter the association, the more they matter.
• ∴ It’s tightly linked to meaning¹¹⁸goals, purposes.

5.1.5 Sympathy

• One major standard is sympathy.
• Sympathy is a projection of experience.¹¹⁹“Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes”¹²⁰This is why the animal cruelty people care about dogs, not mosquitos.
• ∴ It’s tightly linked to feelings.

5.1.6 Selfishness

• Morality is ultimately selfish; selfish acts are moral.
• Acting for the associated is acting for myself.¹²¹Since I regard them as the extension of myself.
• Acting in sympathy is acting for myself.¹²²Because I’m trying to feel good.

5.1.7 Levels of Experience

• There are distinct ‘levels of experience'(consciousness):

1. Unconscious (No experience)
2. Conscious
   1. No Self(-Awareness)
   2. Self
      1. No Free Will (Ownership)
      2. Free Will

• The levels are arbitrary; some have the potential to be at the next level.¹²³Thus, it’s physically nonsensical.
• It’s narratively sensical, because it makes distinctions in the desires & who matters.

5.1.8 Ultimate(ly Preferable) Desires

• Desires come from what matters.
• Nothing ‘absolutely’ matters; nothing “must” matter. But things do matter.
• What does matter depends on the ‘level of experience’:
  • Unconscious → Nothing matters.
  • Conscious → Pleasure matters.
  • Conscious & Self → Peace(Pleasure) & Purpose matters.
  • Conscious & Self & Free-Will → Intrigue(Purpose) matters.
• Fulfilling that which matters is the ultimate good, and that depends on the ‘level of experience’ of an entity.

5.1.9 Prioritized Entities

• Reality is a simulation; it (most certainly) exists for entertainment. HENCE,

1. ↑ Level(of consciousness)¹²⁴I’d rather experience being a human than a fly (because the experience is “fuller”) = ↑ Likelihood of a soul (experiencing the entity)¹²⁵The experience of being an ant (probably) exists. However, there (probably) isn’t a ‘soul’ experiencing it.AND,
2. In the case where someone “voluntarily” experiences the lower-level entity, “doing good” destroys the intended experience.¹²⁶Part of “the deer experience” is being chased by the predators. THEREFORE,
3. I have a strong justification to prefer optimizing for the highest-level entities: fellow humans.

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5.2 Ethics (Society)

5.2.1 Society

• Society is a group of people formed around a particular concept(s): lineage/geography/idea/etc.
• Society ⇋ Association¹²⁷Society leads to association, association leads to society.
• Societies create synergetic benefits by scaling: markets/protection/etc.
• There are many societies.

5.2.2 Ethics

• Society is fundamentally collectivist(groupist).¹²⁸It’s found upon associations: attachments: people being part of each others’ identities.¹²⁹It’s a group of people saying, “together, we are one.”¹³⁰Society = Group, group is groupist.
• ∴ In ethics, the ultimate good is: fulfilling that which matters to a society.
• Ethics is a societal preference.

5.2.3 Utilitarianism

• For a society, at its largest scale¹³¹including every entity, at the most general level: The lowest common denominator for desire is pleasure.
• ∴ Maximizing pleasure, as a whole, is the …is the basic answer.
• However, most humans:
  • A. Don’t have free will. AND,
  • B. Have the potential for the “higher level of experience”.
• ∴ The ultimate good for a person is: A. Ownership(peace), then B. Intrigue.
• ∴ Society’s ultimate good is freedom (for as many as possible). Not independence. It’s inherently impossible(perhaps undesirable) for a society to bring independence to its members.

5.2.4 Honor

• Honor is the society’s reward for ethical acts:

1. Adding value to society.
2. Self-sacrifice¹³²which strengthens association.

• Although, it’s based on the “perception” of ethical acts.¹³³Even if I did something ethical, if the public perceives the act as unethical, I get no honor.
• Honor makes me socially acceptable.¹³⁴It’s synonymous with “likability”.
• The better I am to society, the better society is to me.

5.2.5 Persecution

• What matters most to a society is the uniting concept (not the individuals).
  • ∵ Societies form around ideas.
  • Without the concept, it falls apart.
• ∴ In order to maintain itself, a society must cast out the heretics¹³⁵because they weaken association.
• Heresies are socially unacceptable.

5.2.6 The Value of Ethics

• Unlike morality¹³⁶which is a direct preference, ethics indirectly affect me.¹³⁷My actions help others, others’ actions help me.
• The more ethical society is the better society to live in.¹³⁸“Small acts of kindness add up, and in the end may save the world.”
• In summary:
  1. There isn’t a direct incentive to act ethically. BUT,
  2. I like ethical people myself¹³⁹because they benefit me). AND,
  3. Acting ethically is eventually beneficial(honor). THEREFORE,
  4. I’d rather act ethically than not.

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5.3 In Practice

5.3.1 What’s Good, Literally

• Morality/ethics is embedded in daily life; it’s not necessarily about life & death.
• On a surface level, whatever you desire is morally good.¹⁴⁰Beauty is a moral good, nice tasting food is a moral good, annoying music is a moral bad, etc.¹⁴¹Harm is whatever you don’t want, and is immoral (to you).
• On a surface level, whatever’s good for society(≈ other people) is ethically good.

5.3.2 On a Deeper Level

• What’s truly good: fulfilling true desires (depending on the ‘level of experience’).¹⁴²Giving pleasure pills to an entity, who has free will, doesn’t serve what truly matters: intrigue.
• “Goodness” must be evaluated across the totality of life.¹⁴³Smoking cigarettes brings pleasure(good) in the short term, but brings pain(bad) in the long term.¹⁴⁴Taking present/future into consideration, and disregarding the past.

5.3.3 Morality Comes First

• Essentially, I don’t exist for society.¹⁴⁵The individual is only part of society so long as it benefits himself.¹⁴⁶My existence precedes society reality.
• To me, “what matters to me” is more important than “what matters to society”.
• ∴ If one has to be chosen over another, it’s morality.
• But, generally, it’s best to align morality & ethics.

5.3.4 Justice

• Justice is the “fairness” between morality & ethics.
• It’s collective morality.
• It’s what maximizes the moral/ethical good.¹⁴⁷Both, if not, one. If one, with the least sacrifice of the other.
• Injustice creates conflict.

5.3.5 Consequentialism

• At the end of the day, all that matters is the outcome(experience).
• Good/bad is a judgement of the outcome, not the process.¹⁴⁸E.g. “Eating cake” isn’t (un)desirable; the “experience(mostly taste) of eating cake” is.¹⁴⁹E.g. “Killing” isn’t (un)desirable; the “loss of life(potential good)” is.
• No action is good/bad, regardless of the outcome.¹⁵⁰If an action produced good results, it was good.

5.3.6 Deontology

• Deontology is a set of arbitrary standards used as substitutes for judgement.¹⁵¹Hence, the standards of which actions are good/bad has changed.¹⁵²“Safety barrier against the lack of judgement”
• Long-term consequences of an action are near-impossible to predict.
• Even considering short-term consequences require intellectual effort.¹⁵³Hence, primitive creatures have no sense of ethics.
• “Just don’t do x” is much more efficient¹⁵⁴which is vital for survival.¹⁵⁵More efficiency: many deontological rules are ingrained into intuitions. (For social creatures)

5.3.7 Virtue

• Virtue is a pattern of behaviours that benefit others.¹⁵⁶Hence, it’s praised socially.
• It’s an extension of deontology.¹⁵⁷Virtuous acts are regarded as good, although they aren’t outcomes.
• Sympathy(caring about others) is particularly celebrated.¹⁵⁸Because it connects morality(personal good) with ethics(societal good).¹⁵⁹Given the subject is a member of the society. And it is, often so.
• In political discussions, the more sympathetic always has the ethical high ground.¹⁶⁰When somebody attacks someone on Twitter, it’s mostly pointing out the lack of sympathy.

5.3.8 Solution to the Trolley Problem

Trolley Problem

1. If the 1 person matters to me, pull the lever;
2. If not, don’t pull the lever;
3. If 1 is human, and 5 are chickens, pull the lever;
4. If the chickens matter to me, don’t pull the lever;
5. If 1 is conscious, and 5 are unconscious (that can’t recover), pull the lever.

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5.4 Social Systems

5.4.1 Law

• Law is a set of social contracts that (seek to) actualize justice.
• It’s based on the mutual agreement across all members of the society: “I acknowledge (what matters to) you.”
• It’s an extension of deontology, via force; law forces a minimum level of ethics upon members (of the society).

5.4.2 Punishments

• Punishments are future-oriented acts of justice.¹⁶¹On their own, they’re unethical; they cause suffering.
• They exist to minimize unethical acts by creating moral consequences for them.¹⁶²Main message: “there’s nothing to gain from this(unethical acts).”
• ∴ Intentions matter in determining punishments.¹⁶³∵ If an act was unintended, punishments don’t reduce the chance of it reoccurring.AND,
• “A mistake is not something to be determined after the fact, but in the light of the information until that point.“

5.4.3 The Fundamental Obligation

• If I’m to participate in a society, I’m obligated to be at least a net-neutral (to the society).¹⁶⁴In other words, give more than take.
• If the average member takes (more than gives), the system falls apart.¹⁶⁵Society loses its purpose.
• It’s vital for a society to remove unethical entities.

5.4.4 Rights (& Welfare)

‘Rights’ are agreements: Every member of the society(group) “deserves” ‘x’, given ‘y’.

• Welfare(= “Human Rights”): Every member deserves ‘x’ just by being part of the society.¹⁶⁶On the flip side, it means: Every member must “contribute” ‘z’.
• In a democratic system, ‘x’ is determined by consensus.¹⁶⁷Democracy is a consensus mechanism for determining justice.

5.4.5 Determining Justice

• Larger society → More general(unspecific) unifying concept → Weaker association with other members of the society; I care less → Morality aligns less with ethics → Looser society
• “I am, at the Fed level, libertarian; at the state level, Republican; at the local level, Democrat; and at the family and friends level, a socialist.”¹⁶⁸Not affiliated
• Thought: Looser societies require more force to keep themselves together.¹⁶⁹Like a powerful concept.
• ∴ They don’t function well with collectivist approaches¹⁷⁰also requiring more force.

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6.1 Rationality

6.1.1 What’s Rationality?

• Rationality is an approach to the processes/decisions that bring results.
  • In a given condition & desired outcome;
  • Via appropriate intellects;
  • Through multiple levels of abstraction & contexts.
• Rationality → Judgement¹⁷¹Rational process leads to good judgements.

6.1.2 Circumstance Awareness

• Rationality isn’t “following the heart” nor “following the head”.
• Rationality is being aware; understanding; It’s the opposite of “blindly” following anything.¹⁷²This doesn’t mean “being realistic/idealistic”, which is irrational.
• It’s understanding “where am I” & “where I want to go”.

6.1.3 Intellects

• Intellects
• There are 2 intellects: A. Unconscious(Intuition), AND B. Conscious(Reasoning)
  • Emotion is circumstance/outcome, not intellect.
• They can be used independently/together–depending on the appropriateness.

6.1.4 Abstractions

• Abstractions
• Every circumstance has many levels of abstraction.¹⁷³E.g. I can look at the tree, or the forest, or the chlorophyll.
• Reduction vs. Abstraction

6.1.5 Contexts

• Every circumstance has multiple contexts; I can think about the same circumstance in multiple ways.¹⁷⁴E.g. A “failing company” isn’t just financially failing, but also politically/technologically failing.¹⁷⁵E.g. A school isn’t just a place for education, but is also a place for daycare/propaganda/feeding/socialization.
• Many unsolved problems are framed in the wrong context.¹⁷⁶E.g. Glasses didn’t have a production problem, they had a distribution(+monopoly) problem.¹⁷⁷E.g. Peace
• Thinking across contexts opens new solutions to problems.¹⁷⁸It’s “thinking outside the box.”¹⁷⁹E.g. The solution to book sales could be “better book” not “better marketing”.¹⁸⁰Bad example: XY problem

6.1.6 Results

• The rationality of past decisions has to be evaluated based on the circumstance, not the outcome.[/mfn]“A mistake is not something to be determined after the fact, but in the light of the information until that point.”[/mfn]
• Although, fundamentally, rationality is about getting results.¹⁸¹“Rational way” ≈ “the way that gets results”.
• If a process consistently brings no results, it’s not rational.¹⁸²Note: An act can be rational, independent of the actor.
• More Rational

6.1.7 Knowledge of Irrationality(Fallacy)

• Regardless of “if I process through multiple levels of abstractions & contexts”, if the intellect fails, it’s irrational.
• Knowledge of fallacies is useful for correcting faulty reasoning.
• Knowledge of biases is useful for correcting faulty intuitions.
• Contradictions of “things that used to be regarded as truths(correct)” are useful references of irrationality.

6.1.8 Rational Knowledge (Truths)

• Knowledge is the basis of all processes.¹⁸³Information processing is impossible without information.
• If I have a lot of truth-based knowledge, it’s easier to have rational processes.
• The more objective(=falsifiable) knowledge is more likely to be true.¹⁸⁴Politics promotes the exact opposite.
• Truth

6.1.9 Theory of Knowledge

• A solid theory of knowledge is an effective foundation of all knowledge.
• It’s a guide for discerning if a piece of knowledge is true/false.
• The Beginning of Infinity

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6.2 Meta-Reasoning

6.2.1 Meta-Reasoning

• Rationality comes from meta-reasoning.¹⁸⁵In order to employ the right way, I must figure out (reason) the right way.
• Meta-reasoning isn’t reasoning about the actual task, but reasoning about the processing(reasoning) about the task(s).
• It has a separate set of requirements:
  • Self-Awareness
  • Clarity
  • Anti-Dogma

6.2.2 Self-Awareness

• Self-Awareness
• With self-awareness, I can account for my strengths/weaknesses.¹⁸⁶E.g. If I know that I’m biased towards one decision, I can account for it in my reasoning.¹⁸⁷E.g. If I know that my intuition is better than reasoning in guessing people’s moods, I can follow that (instead of following less-effective rules).
• It means I have a clear evaluation of the effectiveness of my intellect¹⁸⁸intuition AND/OR reasoningin particular circumstances.

6.2.3 Clarity

• Clear Thinking
• If my head’s filled with junk, I can’t think straight.¹⁸⁹Reasoning based on flawed knowledge & gaps in logic produces false conclusions.¹⁹⁰Even intuition falters with a lot of untruths in the head.

6.2.4 Anti-Dogma

• The “rational approach” is fundamentally anti-dogma—being “open-minded”.
• It means questioning everything: “Why? So what? Is it?“¹⁹¹The target is usually myself: “What am I saying? Am I repeating someone else’s words?”
• It’s having a no-filter view of reality:
  • Having no conclusions(beliefs);
  • Constantly discarding prejudices;
• Yet It May Still Be False

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7.1 Money(=Value)

7.1.1 What’s Money?

• Money is: A. Store of value, AND B. Medium of exchange.
• It satisfies the conditions much better than barter.
  • A: Added consistency & permanence
  • B: Added efficiency & portability
• Unlike assets, it doesn’t inherently have/produce value.¹⁹²Cash doesn’t catch fish; fishing rod does.
• Money-making is:

1. Creating something(service) of value, and
2. Exchanging it (with someone else) for money.

7.1.2 Money-value

• The money-value of something (to a given person) is whatever the person is willing to pay for it.
• Value = Fulfills desire(s)
• ∴ Money-value is a measure of desire.
• Hence, money-value is face-value¹⁹³fulfilling immediate desires, not intrinsic-value¹⁹⁴fulfilling ultimate desires.
• Just because you’re willing to pay 100 for ‘x’ doesn’t mean it makes your overall life 100 better.¹⁹⁵Remember: evaluation must happen across the whole timespan, not just the immediate.

7.1.3 Peace

• For (most) people, peace is the ultimate desire.
• The path to true-peace is ownership. However, most of ownership can’t be bought.
  • Independence can’t be bought; Freedom can be assisted.
• ∴ (Morally & Ethically) Providing freedom is the most valuable, applicable, service.¹⁹⁶For most people.

7.1.4 Intrigue(Entertainment)

• For those without peace, intrigue is only optional.
• For those with ownership, intrigue is the ultimate desire.¹⁹⁷The desire for intrigue grows with more peace.
• ∴ Providing intrigue is the most valuable service.¹⁹⁸Given: peace

7.1.5 Almost Unmeasurable: Time

• Morally:
  • “Life itself”¹⁹⁹survivalis worth ~∞.²⁰⁰In my deathbed, I’m willing to pay $∞ to live another day.²⁰¹Given: it’s a positive experience; if life is net-negative, I’m willing to pay $∞ to die ASAP.²⁰²Enough pain is worth more than survival.
  • “Extra life”²⁰³time isn’t worth ~∞, because paying for it comes at the cost of today(time).
  • Basically, my time is worth my timely(hourly) rate; my time is worth as much as the amount of value I can produce in that time.²⁰⁴E.i. If I buy 5 life-hours for $5, but it takes >5 hours to make $5, it’s a losing deal.
  • However, with financial freedom, time is worth ~∞.²⁰⁵I don’t need to recover the money spent.
• Ethically:
  • 1 life is worth as much as the cost to save 1 life. AND/OR,
  • A life is worth as much as it can contribute to the society.²⁰⁶1 doctor (who can save more lives) is worth more than 1 teacher, ethically.

7.1.6 Ethics

• In the short-term: Cost(Expectations)²⁰⁷A person pays by the expectations. – Value = Ethical-ness
• Wealth creation is ethical; wealth capture is unethical.
• Generally, a person will pay no less than the value of the service.
• ∴ Money-making is ethical.²⁰⁸because it is net-giving
• Stealing money is moral NOT ethical.

7.1.7 Competition

• If a certain product(service) already exists, creating the same product doesn’t add as much value.²⁰⁹Note: all goods are services.²¹⁰E.g. Going from “no-phone” to “phone” changes my life completely; having “1 phone option” to “2 phone options” isn’t as life-changing.²¹¹E.g. The second person who discovers a physics law.
• ∴ “Zero-to-one” services²¹²things that haven’t yet existedare the best; it’s ethical AND moral.
• Similar products are replaceable → competition
• Competition eliminates profits(value capture), which is ethical NOT moral.

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