Lucid Ramblings [ I ] ► Unmeasured Cynicism and where it is bound to lead

► Possible post-cynic optimism ◄​

Being the harmless, classic 'class clown' back 10 years ago (jeez, already an old fuck huh), when my shelter dissolved all at once, cynicism wasn't something at the time that would give me so much trouble, so I thought. I kinda was forced to grow up faster by, due to bureaucratic reasons - being substantially younger than my class, peer pressure caused partly by parents, developing occasional drinking problems and being raised without a dad or older brother.


My twisted view of the world told me, when I needed the most no one would extend a hand. The next line of thought would be, people who didn't payback the support I once upon provided, in the most vague of sense, - then they weren't worth being around. As I began treating others badly, my social circle gradually deteriorating - a cycle of confirmation bias gained more space as weeks passed. Struggle after struggle, eventually I rebelled entirely and was only accompanied by loneliness. I managed to not go completely insane by engaging with the journaling people did a few years ago on the main NF platform and dividing my psyche into another antagonistic me. Society had decayed, if I were to go mad it would be in my own terms.

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By now you must have a gist of what going down the route of unmeasured cynicism can lead you. I was introduced to this idea very recently so pardon if I fumble around too badly while trying to paint a clear-detailed picture.


I might be extrapolating the original thought but here goes.

It's recommended that by your first mid-life crisis, a person should have gone by three stages of intellectual development, emotional IQ and / or overall agency onto the world. It might sound less confusing if I give frame by playing a bit with the extremes.

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Let's say person A-1's personality is guided by the ambition that one should embrace opportunity for scientific progress 80% of the time. Those 20% would be something that goes against humans rights and all that jazz.


A-1 lives day by day furthering the frontier that his mind can operate. Repeatable and verifiable are personal mottos. Unfortunately, when A-1 makes two steps outside his base probability for achieving certainty - they instantly raise concerns or launch criticism of the likes such as labeling unconventional lines of thought as metaphysics or dogma. Precision isn't a question of Black and White, anything outside of it is met with disregard and should not be called science. The opposite side of the spectrum isn't even real, only an illusory misconception. A-1 prides himself as part of the select few that will push the boundaries of human knowledge, slowly, but surely.

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B-2 wish they were born during the hippie moment that went on through the 60s. However, this individual doesn't retreat from methodology and constraints that hegemonic sources of knowledge are based upon. Through their 20s they entered the bubble of activism, thoroughly investing their time and efforts into movements that would save aquatic life, specifically turtles. After a couple years in this industry, a certain disillusion with meaningful results was installed because the incentive that big companies had profit via to destroying what he cared about, was too great to overcome. Time is money and money is power. It happens that non-lucrative organizations can only fund their enterprise for so long and take their propositions so far. After that, these institutions often are dismantled or become corrupt. To fully solve the problem at hand would inadvertently obsolete the purpose of their cause, and, those employed - would lose their place. Therefore, the approach to the problem strategically changes to managing it. Their reasons are centered based on the statement that there's simply too much to be done in too little time. B-2's optimistic tendencies from his previous mindset fades to the corner and pessimism reigns over when dealing with those that once they considered to be part of the same team.


A-1's further stage is to become a techno-optimist. AI, machine learning and automation are here to conquer. Rests on us to decide how to employ the plow and basket - newly discovered - from back in the day or perish like the others who stuck with more traditional tools, who didn't.

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B-2's increase in cynicism is bound to translate to the following. Since the mid-century bomb, we became too much of a threat to the environment. Resource extraction have raised to a level nature can't match through it’s renewal process.

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AB-3 would be the one to unite the best of both worlds, however, a step beyond the current sense-making could propel us even further. A cultural enlightenment of sorts is needed though. If the people don’t voluntarily choose it, the cause is lost already.

C-4 synthesized both worlds views, going past those two stages of development reaching post-pessimistic, post-cynic approach to problem solving on a global scale that take into account unintended third order effects. They also know consciousness isn’t product of neural networks by themselves, the system is much more interconnected, similar to the autonomous part that pulls away the hand from fire. It moves without secondary thought.

(Self-immolating monks were known to override the barrier of automatic response and bring their higher, more mature mind to have priority over primal drive. Their love for a cause synergized with their logic)

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C-4 not only tries to solve for the generator function but also keeps an eye for when perverse incentive starts to obstruct possibilities of entering a new path. Emotion and reason aren’t mutually exclusive, they are factors of a higher state of mindful affairs just as conscious design englobes mutagenic evolution. C-4 marches towards the frontier without the discomfort brought by the eventual uncertainty. In fact, they approach it as fuel source to transmute the next philosophy stone which will guide Wisdom × Compassion.

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Entropy causes our cells to die. Although, the entropic process doesn’t lead to a one way road. Consciousness can benefit from it by accelerating death of old cells, which could trigger a feedback loop that instantiates birth of new cells. Just as the mind isn’t always smart, the body isn’t only dumb. It knows that genetic material should never become pure waste.

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