If technology is the application of methodical knowledge for practical purposes, then perhaps wisdom can be explored scientifically.
While wisdom may not be digital or mechanical, it is methodical, repeatable, and outcome-oriented.
What I'm suggesting is that we will transcend when we stop viewing wisdom and technology as a binary of ancient versus modern and instead recognise wisdom itself as a technology.
I’m so keen to read your book as well. I I love your Substack. It's multidisciplinary and paradox is the foundation of creation.
That’s an important point on keeping wisdom and tech from being binary. It’s so pervasive I tend to fall victim to it. However, as you pont out, technology could be seen as the physical manifestation of wisdom.
It’s so good to have you here sharing your own multidisciplinary insights!
It seems to me that when humans are born with a subconscious which is programmed by genetics, it then continues to accept programming from the environment in which it lives.
Because that’s protective. Wherever that may be. With whoever is around.
It is interesting how much we are biologically coded and have limited control over. Its so important nature won’t let us repgrogram the fundamental operating system.
Indeed, the crux of the problem is that we are changing our world so fast that evolution doesn't stand a chance of keeping up. So naturally, thos of us living in the 'civilised' world struggle mentally so much. However, we have invented techniques to help that situation, the realm of neuroplasticity. I'm an EFT practitioner, so I know how to take shortcuts to over-ride the genetic programming. (Not perfect, but beats waiting for evolution!) Oh, other methods are available too, obviously. Best wishes!
An alien might also be shocked/amused/curious about the foods humans eat. Your guys in the grass huts most likely would like to eat the same medium rare steak your New York stockbroker enjoys in his Manhattan high rise. And to defend the “ humans who haven’t moved up in technology”, in Matt Walsh's documentary "What Is a Woman?", “primitive” members of the Maasai can identify what a female of our species is where maybe your New York stockbroker in his Manhattan high rise can’t. It’s not always about technology. In fact if you removed technology, humans are far more interesting, IMHO.
That's a great point. It feels like the more we are removed from nature, the less human-centric we become. Also, if we removed the technology, a whole lot of humans would have no idea how to even survive.
“ Also, if we removed the technology, a whole lot of humans would have no idea how to even survive.”
It would be a fun exercise.
My son went camping with a bunch of friends and the friends were freaked out because they had forgotten a lighter to start the campfire burning. He showed them how caveman style.
There’s an interesting book I used for some of my Science classes while homeschooling “Caveman Chemistry” Kevin Dunn. I think you’d like it, so would budding Scientists.
While I can agree with some of the ideas here I think the idea of AI is much worse than we think. It's not true that one of the worst concerns about it is human beings. Are you familiar with the concept of perverse instantiation? That's probably the worst outcome for the question of AI. Sometimes it's also talked about as the "trickster genie" problem.
Good points. Who is AI tricking? No matter how I flip it around, it's still human-centric chaos. Hopefully we can avoid it but right now, it requires unplugging humans from the Matrix (literally and pun intended) Right now AI isn't concious and that's a good thing.
Well it’s not so much tricking people in the idea of perverse instantiation but the genie analogy is used. In that genie example, you make the wish “I wish to sleep with that person.” and the genie makes you literally fall asleep along with the person you wished. You did technically get what you want but not what you actually meant.
In the AI example, the nightmare scenario is you program an AI with the function of “make human life better” but that’s not necessarily what you get. The AI thinks “How do I make life better? What makes human life worse? Lack of resources. How do I create new resources? Maybe it’s easier to reduce the number of people who need resources? If I launch thermonuclear war and eliminate the people who don’t have enough resources, everything will be happy.”
Technically, you got what you wanted but you probably didn’t want it to do it the way it did.
I think that if I was an alien, looking at all this diverse living on planet earth, I'd wonder at each human just as we humans look at individual cells in a body. I shall say no more and allow that to percolate.
Great post. In case you haven't seen it, there's an entertaining comedy film entitled "The Gods Must Be Crazy", centering on what can happen when technology catches a society unaware. Here's a FREE YouTube link:
Just now seeing you’ve written several novels… you’re something else. Looking forward to reading as I do any of your posts.
The dichotomy between both sides of the human capacities/extremes is always interesting to contemplate. Finding our spots on these continuums is a never-ending balancing act based on phases of life, interests, and experience. I’m one that’s continuously trying to leverage both
As an alien from outer space, after checking what's going on here on the Pale Blue Dot, paramount instructions that would be given to any future visitor would be: Avoid close contact at any cost for the next milennia !!!
And as lyrics from Deep Forest group go:
Deep in the jungle, there live some tiny men and women, they're our past, and maybe, maybe, they'll be our future ...
There is some great perspective in this piece. The view of earth from the moon is my background, as well as a picture I view in my office everyday. It is grounding, perspective giving, an excellent way to view ourselves and the way we live. Great piece.
So thought-provoking.
As an African Bushman, I think humanity will only transcend its past when we stop seeing the "naked ones with sharpened sticks" as primitive.
They hold advanced technology too. Just not the kind the west values. Emotional intelligence, communal logic, deep attunement to place.
These are innovations we’ve forgotten how to value.
Great point. Maybe not advanced technology but certainly advanced wisdom.
What if wisdom is methodical?
If technology is the application of methodical knowledge for practical purposes, then perhaps wisdom can be explored scientifically.
While wisdom may not be digital or mechanical, it is methodical, repeatable, and outcome-oriented.
What I'm suggesting is that we will transcend when we stop viewing wisdom and technology as a binary of ancient versus modern and instead recognise wisdom itself as a technology.
I’m so keen to read your book as well. I I love your Substack. It's multidisciplinary and paradox is the foundation of creation.
That’s an important point on keeping wisdom and tech from being binary. It’s so pervasive I tend to fall victim to it. However, as you pont out, technology could be seen as the physical manifestation of wisdom.
It’s so good to have you here sharing your own multidisciplinary insights!
Interesting piece - well done.
It seems to me that when humans are born with a subconscious which is programmed by genetics, it then continues to accept programming from the environment in which it lives.
Because that’s protective. Wherever that may be. With whoever is around.
Which explains everything.
Sometimes I like to keep it simple 😊
It is interesting how much we are biologically coded and have limited control over. Its so important nature won’t let us repgrogram the fundamental operating system.
Indeed, the crux of the problem is that we are changing our world so fast that evolution doesn't stand a chance of keeping up. So naturally, thos of us living in the 'civilised' world struggle mentally so much. However, we have invented techniques to help that situation, the realm of neuroplasticity. I'm an EFT practitioner, so I know how to take shortcuts to over-ride the genetic programming. (Not perfect, but beats waiting for evolution!) Oh, other methods are available too, obviously. Best wishes!
An alien might also be shocked/amused/curious about the foods humans eat. Your guys in the grass huts most likely would like to eat the same medium rare steak your New York stockbroker enjoys in his Manhattan high rise. And to defend the “ humans who haven’t moved up in technology”, in Matt Walsh's documentary "What Is a Woman?", “primitive” members of the Maasai can identify what a female of our species is where maybe your New York stockbroker in his Manhattan high rise can’t. It’s not always about technology. In fact if you removed technology, humans are far more interesting, IMHO.
That's a great point. It feels like the more we are removed from nature, the less human-centric we become. Also, if we removed the technology, a whole lot of humans would have no idea how to even survive.
“ Also, if we removed the technology, a whole lot of humans would have no idea how to even survive.”
It would be a fun exercise.
My son went camping with a bunch of friends and the friends were freaked out because they had forgotten a lighter to start the campfire burning. He showed them how caveman style.
There’s an interesting book I used for some of my Science classes while homeschooling “Caveman Chemistry” Kevin Dunn. I think you’d like it, so would budding Scientists.
I will look that up since we homeschool as well.
While I can agree with some of the ideas here I think the idea of AI is much worse than we think. It's not true that one of the worst concerns about it is human beings. Are you familiar with the concept of perverse instantiation? That's probably the worst outcome for the question of AI. Sometimes it's also talked about as the "trickster genie" problem.
Good points. Who is AI tricking? No matter how I flip it around, it's still human-centric chaos. Hopefully we can avoid it but right now, it requires unplugging humans from the Matrix (literally and pun intended) Right now AI isn't concious and that's a good thing.
Well it’s not so much tricking people in the idea of perverse instantiation but the genie analogy is used. In that genie example, you make the wish “I wish to sleep with that person.” and the genie makes you literally fall asleep along with the person you wished. You did technically get what you want but not what you actually meant.
In the AI example, the nightmare scenario is you program an AI with the function of “make human life better” but that’s not necessarily what you get. The AI thinks “How do I make life better? What makes human life worse? Lack of resources. How do I create new resources? Maybe it’s easier to reduce the number of people who need resources? If I launch thermonuclear war and eliminate the people who don’t have enough resources, everything will be happy.”
Technically, you got what you wanted but you probably didn’t want it to do it the way it did.
I always love a good cargo-cult reference!
I think that if I was an alien, looking at all this diverse living on planet earth, I'd wonder at each human just as we humans look at individual cells in a body. I shall say no more and allow that to percolate.
Good perspective.
Great post. In case you haven't seen it, there's an entertaining comedy film entitled "The Gods Must Be Crazy", centering on what can happen when technology catches a society unaware. Here's a FREE YouTube link:
https://youtu.be/qw6rvUwXMfc?si=FTIzNee2r3-U2Txv
Awesome. I'll take a look. I need a good earth image to print and hang.
Just now seeing you’ve written several novels… you’re something else. Looking forward to reading as I do any of your posts.
The dichotomy between both sides of the human capacities/extremes is always interesting to contemplate. Finding our spots on these continuums is a never-ending balancing act based on phases of life, interests, and experience. I’m one that’s continuously trying to leverage both
Awesome! And yes, that balance is key. But, like you said, maybe it's better to say regular rebalancing as things change.
As an alien from outer space, after checking what's going on here on the Pale Blue Dot, paramount instructions that would be given to any future visitor would be: Avoid close contact at any cost for the next milennia !!!
And as lyrics from Deep Forest group go:
Deep in the jungle, there live some tiny men and women, they're our past, and maybe, maybe, they'll be our future ...
Haha. Fantastic. That last lyrical share is spot on!
There is some great perspective in this piece. The view of earth from the moon is my background, as well as a picture I view in my office everyday. It is grounding, perspective giving, an excellent way to view ourselves and the way we live. Great piece.
Thanks, and agree. Stepping back for context gets us out of our own ego.