Kühle Welten:

In einer kühlen Welt,
in der manch Einer lebt,
Wenn er einen sehr kalkulierten
Umgang mit seinen Mitmenschen
pflegt.

Distanz:

Wie viel Distanz wünscht man sich zu einer gewissen Person?

Gegenüber welchen Personen ist ein Nähewunsch vorhanden?

Liebe in dem Sinn:
Im Idealfall ein wechselseitiger Wunsch nach Nähe.

Ungewisser Ausgang:

Manchmal ist das, was da passieren wird, so lange ungewiss, bis es passiert.

Was für Ausgangsmöglichkeiten sind vorhanden?

Welcher Ausgang ist am "wahrscheinlichsten"?

"Thinking in Bets" bedeutet, mögliche Ausgänge sowie die Wahrscheinlichkeit oder Plausibilität einzelner Ausgänge abzuschätzen. Ein Restrisiko bleibt stets auch bei sehr guten Entscheidungen. Ein schlechter Ausgang ändert gegebenenfalls nichts an der Güte einer Entscheidung oder eines Entscheidungsprozesses.

Jahreswechsel:

Das Jahr geht nun zu Ende.
Die letzten Stunden noch.
Wir sehen uns dann wieder.
Im nächsten Jahr dann doch.

Philosophie:

Man hat da so seinen eigenen Zugang zur Sache selbst. Über diesen Zugang entspringt alle Philosophie und alles tiefere Erleben. Die Tiefendimension, die das Leben haben kann, die es aber keineswegs haben muss.

Humor:

Die Essenz des Humors liegt in der Kunst, sich nicht unterkriegen zu lassen. Humor als das Kriegerische im Menschen. Und also, egal was da so passiert, schlichtweg nicht weinerlich durch das Leben zu gehen.

Why are some lives filled with struggle and strife?

GPT:

Poverty, lack of access to education, and economic instability can significantly contribute to life struggles. These conditions can limit opportunities and resources available to individuals, making it harder to improve their circumstances.

Physical and mental health issues can greatly impact a person's life. Chronic illness, disability, or mental health disorders can make everyday tasks more challenging and affect one's ability to work, learn, or socialize.

Family issues, such as domestic violence, substance abuse, or dysfunctional relationships, can cause significant stress and hardship.

War, political instability, and persecution can drastically affect lives, leading to struggles like displacement, loss of home and livelihood, and trauma.

Individual decisions and life events, such as financial mismanagement, legal troubles, or relationship breakdowns, can lead to struggles. Additionally, some people may face more challenges due to their personal attributes or life situations.

Sometimes, struggles arise from unforeseen circumstances like natural disasters, accidents, or other events that are out of an individual's control.

Why First Impressions Matter Too Much:

Robin Hanson:

"When the first person in our community meets a stranger, their judgment of that stranger is little constrained by needing to be consistent with their own prior judgements, nor with the prior judgements of others. Though they will feel constrained by what they expect to be later judgements by themselves and others. Later judgements that they can guess at now by looking at initially visible features.

But once we or others in our community, especially well-judged folks, have made prior judgements about someone, we feel constrained in our own future judgements to not deviate too far from those prior judgements. Especially when such prior judgments are more confident. Such deviations tend to count against us when others judge us."

"To watch and be ready for possible reversals, wherein someone who gave poor first impressions shows themselves to be a valuable late bloomer. Those with initially good features according to the local coordination will tend to avoid such areas of life, while those who did not have them will tend to out such areas of life."

"Thus first-impression and late-bloomer effects are in fact biases on net, and these biases are lower the more it becomes possible to prove one’s value clearly later in life, regardless of one’s first impressions."

[I really like the idea that earlier judgments put some constraints on later judgments. And that judgments of folks who surround us also put some pressure on our judgments.]

Wandel der Persönlichkeit:

Gerhard Roth:

"Gelegentlich stellen wir bei einer Begegnung mit einem Menschen, den wir lange nicht mehr gesehen haben, fest: 'Der ist ja ein ganz anderer Mensch, seit dies und das passiert ist' (meist eine Lebenskrise, eine große berufliche Herausforderung oder eine neue Partnerschaft)."

Arbeitshypothese - Philosophie:

Manches in und an dieser Welt hat großen Wert.

[Siehe auch: Brauchbare Philosophie]

The Mating Game:

Sebastian Jensen:

"Generally, men value emotional stability, attractiveness, shared political beliefs, youth, and a relatively low number of sexual partners. Women value similar things in partners, but place a greater weight on social status and a smaller weight on attractiveness, youth (if at all), and number sexual partners."

-----

"If somebody tries hard to win in a game they percieve as fair or easy to win, and fail, they are probably going to feel worse about it than if they saw the game as hard to win. This discontent from losing in the dating market could result in a perception that 'the game' is harder to win anyway, so I believe suppressing this information is not helpful."

-----

Based on current evidence, people in the modern day are higher in the following traits compared to previous generations:

Psychopathology

Depression (particularly within women)

Suicide (specifically within the young)

BMI (particularly within women)

Older (I don’t think I need a citation for this)

Narcissism

Left wing (in absolute terms)

Quantity of sexual partners

Income (particularly women)

Educational attainment

Critisizing and Attacking Others:

GPT:

"Some people exhibit behavior where they frequently attack or criticize others ..."

"Individuals who feel insecure about themselves might attack others as a way to deflect attention from their own perceived shortcomings or to make themselves feel superior."

"Some people may attack others as a way to exert control or establish dominance in a relationship or social setting."

"If an individual grew up in an environment where attacking or criticizing others was the norm, they might have learned to mimic this behavior." 

"Certain personality disorders, such as narcissistic personality disorder or borderline personality disorder, can include tendencies to belittle or attack others." 

"Feelings of jealousy or envy towards others can sometimes lead to attacking behavior as a way to undermine or disparage the person they are jealous of."

Schwache Persönliche Grenzen:

 GPT:

"Schwache oder undeutliche persönliche Grenzen machen es schwieriger, Nein zu sagen oder eigene Bedürfnisse und Wünsche zu äußern, was andere dazu verleiten kann, diese Person zu übergehen oder ihre Großzügigkeit auszunutzen.

Wenn jemand Schwierigkeiten hat, klar zu kommunizieren, was akzeptabel ist und was nicht, können andere dies als Einladung sehen, die Grenzen zu überschreiten.

Personen mit geringem Selbstbewusstsein neigen dazu, schwache Grenzen zu haben. Sie könnten sich sorgen, Ablehnung oder Konflikte zu erleben, wenn sie ihre Bedürfnisse deutlich machen.

Wenn jemand nicht in der Lage ist, sich durchzusetzen, kann dies von anderen als Möglichkeit gesehen werden, die Person für ihre Zwecke zu nutzen.

Personen, die Konflikte vermeiden möchten oder Angst vor Ablehnung haben, setzen oft keine festen Grenzen, was sie anfällig für Ausnutzung macht.

Ein starker Wunsch, anderen zu gefallen oder für sie da zu sein, kann dazu führen, dass jemand über seine Grenzen hinausgeht, was von anderen ausgenutzt werden kann.

Menschen, die manipulativ oder kontrollierend sind, suchen sich oft Personen mit schwachen Grenzen als "leichte Ziele" für ihr Verhalten.

In Beziehungen, wo eine Person schwache Grenzen hat, kann es zu ungesunden Machtungleichgewichten kommen, bei denen die andere Person dominiert."

Why is it impossible to trust some persons?

GPT:

"Trust is built on consistency and predictability. If a person behaves erratically or inconsistently, it becomes difficult to predict their actions or rely on them."

"Regular dishonesty, whether through lying, withholding information, or being deceptive, erodes the foundation of trust."

"People who consistently prioritize their own needs and interests over others may be viewed as untrustworthy, especially if they demonstrate a lack of concern for the welfare of others."

"Individuals who engage in manipulation, ... or exhibit controlling behaviors often lose trust."

[Also see: Reputation]

Interest:

Izard:

"At the experiential level interest … is the feeling of being engaged, caught-up, fascinated, curious. There is a feeling of wanting to investigate, become involved, or extend or expand the self by incorporating new information and having new experiences with the person or object that has stimulated the interest."

Control Freak:

"a person who has an excessive need to control people and situations around them."

Dark Triads:

via Rob Henderson:

"Dark Triads [narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism] are usually not particularly successful in life. They are not, in general, capable leaders; they don’t have close friends; they report lower-than-average life satisfaction."

Neurotic people trying to understand non-neurotic people:

 

To be left alone:

Quintus Curtius: 

"Wanting to be left alone is not a plan for life. Evil exists; it will find you, wherever you are." 

Also See: 

The Upsides and Downsides of the Hermit-Lifestyle

Sophisticated Women:

J. Peterson:

"Sophisticated women, they've had a lot of good relationships with men. Brothers and fathers in particular. Sophisticated women signal to men who are getting a little pushy ..."

Handeln:

Der Mensch ausgestattet mit bestimmten Instrumenten, um Dinge zu erreichen. "Kopf", Hände, Beine fallen mir da in erster Linie ein. Die Kunst, Änderungen in Welt und Umwelt herbeizuführen, durch das Handeln.

Causality:

What is the essence of causality?

Events produce other events.

-----

How does it come that certain things happen?

-----

Reality in essence is causality.

Kontrollwunsch:

Der Versuch, zu bestimmen und festzulegen, was jemand anderer macht.

Pushing Against Personal Boundaries:

GPT:

Pushing against another person's personal boundaries can have various consequences ...

The person whose boundary has been crossed may experience feelings of discomfort, anger, anxiety, or hurt. This emotional response can strain the relationship.

Overstepping boundaries can lead to a loss of trust. Trust is foundational in relationships, and once damaged, it can be difficult to rebuild.

Crossing someone's boundaries often leads to conflict, ranging from mild disagreements to serious confrontations. This can escalate if the boundary violation is not acknowledged or rectified.

Repeated boundary violations can cause lasting damage to a relationship. The person whose boundaries are being pushed may feel disrespected and undervalued, leading to a deterioration of the relationship.

The person whose boundary has been violated may withdraw from the relationship or avoid further interactions. This is a defense mechanism to protect themselves from further boundary violations.

For the person whose boundaries are crossed, this experience can lead to reduced self-esteem, especially if they feel powerless to enforce their boundaries.

In response to boundary violations, some individuals may erect emotional barriers for self-protection, making it harder for them to form close relationships in the future.

The person whose boundary has been crossed may respond assertively, reinforcing their boundaries and expressing their discomfort or disapproval of the overstepping.

-----

Disregard of Personal Boundaries:

Certain personality traits, such as narcissism or a strong need for control, might lead someone to disregard others' boundaries. They may prioritize their own needs and desires over others' comfort.

A lack of empathy can lead to boundary violations. If someone cannot understand or appreciate how their actions affect others, they are more likely to cross boundaries.

In situations where there is an imbalance of power (e.g., in some workplace hierarchies), those in positions of power might feel entitled to overstep boundaries.

If boundary-violating behavior has been positively reinforced in the past (for instance, they got what they wanted through such behavior), individuals may continue this pattern.

In some cases, individuals may knowingly and deliberately violate boundaries to manipulate or control others.

Pushover:

GPT: 

The term "pushover" ... describes someone who is easily influenced, controlled, or persuaded to do something. It implies a lack of assertiveness or strength in resisting pressure or demands from others. A pushover often struggles to assert their own needs, opinions, or preferences.

They are often easily swayed by others' opinions or desires, even if it goes against their own interests or judgment. A pushover tends to avoid conflict or confrontation, which can lead them to agree to things they're not comfortable with. Often, pushovers have a strong desire to please others, which can make them vulnerable to being taken advantage of. Pushovers often have trouble setting and enforcing personal boundaries, leading others to disregard their preferences or needs.

-----

Eine Person, die als „leicht zu beeinflussen“ oder „nachgiebig“ beschrieben wird, hat oft Schwierigkeiten, sich durchzusetzen. Sie sagt selten nein und verteidigt ihre eigenen Bedürfnisse, Meinungen oder Vorlieben nicht aktiv.

Solche Personen lassen sich leicht von den Meinungen oder Wünschen anderer überzeugen, auch wenn dies ihren eigenen Interessen oder ihrem Urteilsvermögen widerspricht.

Sie neigen dazu, Konflikte oder Auseinandersetzungen zu meiden, was dazu führen kann, dass sie Dingen zustimmen, mit denen sie eigentlich nicht einverstanden sind.

Häufig haben diese Personen einen starken Wunsch, anderen zu gefallen, was sie anfällig dafür macht, ausgenutzt zu werden.

Personen, die als „leicht zu beeinflussen“ gelten, haben oft Probleme, persönliche Grenzen zu setzen und durchzusetzen, was dazu führt, dass andere ihre Vorlieben oder Bedürfnisse missachten.

Immer unter Strom:

beziehungsweise:

"Ist ein Mensch ständig unterwegs, immer aktiv, macht er den Eindruck, als würde er ständig unter Strom stehen. [Das Verbreiten von so viel Energie] kann auf andere Menschen sehr attraktiv wirken. So sehr diejenigen, die kaum zum Stehen kommen, potenzielle Partner anziehen, so häufig stößt genau diese Energie sie am Ende wieder ab."

Quiet Desperation:

Josh, Living Fossils:

"My friend Gabriel just had a baby girl, and as we caught up over the phone this week, he told me how overwhelmed he is by everything in his life—not just the newfound responsibilities of being a parent, but marital strife, a pending move, overinvolved parents and in-laws, and two jobs (one of which will hopefully wrap up soon). Now Gabe is a resourceful person, probably the most resourceful I know. Yet his voice had an unmistakable strain to it, which, he said, was the result of trying to keep everything together. "

"Staying exactly where we are, despite our best efforts, is what causes desperation. The longer nothing happens, the more desperate we become. We must finally ask why it is quiet. Well, if we are not quiet—if we spit and rage, break things and say stuff we can’t take back—then we have already chosen, haven’t we? We’ve already doomed, or at least dented, the ideal route toward which all this misery and sacrifice and tolerance has been building. And so we purse our lips. We shut our mouths—for now. A decision will be made, sooner or later. For the moment, we must hold on."

Ambivalence:

Josh, Living Fossils:

"Conflicting motives ... are an inevitable part of human life, and lead to the feeling of ambivalence."

Konstruktive Gesinnung:

Personen, die prinzipiell aufbauen wollen ...

Personen, die prinzipiell anderen Personen, und der Welt anderer Personen, ein Wohlwollen entgegen bringen.

-----

Übertragen auf Familien:

Wenn sich alle Familienmitglieder prinzipiell wohlwollend gegenüberstehen.

-----

Übertragen auf die höhere Politik:

Wie sehr zeigt ein Politiker Wohlwollen gegenüber der Gesellschaft, für die er Verantwortung übernommen hat?

-----

Übertragen auf die Selbstfürsorge:

Wie sehr bringt sich jemand selber Wohlwollen entgegen?

-----

Das Gute am Mitmenschen:

Das Wohlwollende und sehr Hilfsbereite am Mitmenschen

Anspannung:

Der Zugzwang bringt viel Anspannung mit sich. Wenn jemand die Welt der Notwendigkeit, die Welt der nötigen, abzuarbeitenden "Züge", nicht oder stets nur sehr kurz verlassen kann. Freiheit bedeutet, das eine Zeit lang kein Zugzwang und Zeitdruck vorliegen. Hierdurch können gänzlich neue Wege eingeschlagen werden.

Parasocial Relationships:

Josh, Living Fossils

"how is that some people can go multiple days without communicating with a living person? Well, they watch TV, play video games, scroll social media, listen to podcasts, and so on. In essence, they are filling their experience with people, just not real people or people who know about them. These are called “parasocial relationships,” and along with solitude, they can be used cheat our ancient systems designed to measure social connection.

Technically, parasocial relationships are one-sided connections we establish with media figures, such as a news anchor, celebrity, podcast host/guest, or character of some kind."

The Upsides and Downsides of the Hermit-Lifestyle:

Josh, Living Fossils:

"Just because a person does not feel bad, however, doesn’t mean their outcomes, from an evolutionary perspective, are promising. Living alone in the middle of nowhere, while removing much of the potential for negative emotions associated with social life—not only loneliness, but also envy, shame, anger, and so forth—sacrifices the chance of social rewards for the sure thing of avoiding social costs. A hermit doesn’t check over their shoulder for what everyone else is doing; they needn’t worry if they said the wrong thing to someone; they don’t have the opportunity to covet what someone else has. However, they also have nobody to check on them if they come down with an illness; no one to lend them money if their cabin burns down; no one to have and raise children with; and so on."

The tip-of-the-tongue feeling:

Rob Kurzban, Living Fossils:

"The tip-of-the-tongue feeling is evolution’s way of telling you to keep going. Somehow, the system knows that the information you’re looking for is in there somewhere, so it pays to continue looking. What is being measured is something like the probability I’ll be able to recall the needed item and what is being motivated is continuing the search."

Güte:

Das ist, schon sehr am Wohlergehen einer anderen Person interessiert zu sein.

Über die Beeindruckbarkeit:

https://meinnaturwissenschaftsblog.blogspot.com/2022/12/beeindruckbarkeit.html

Selbstkontrolle:

Ein bisschen in Anlehnung an die "Über-Ich-Thematik":

Ein Zustand, in dem stark kontrolliert wird, überwacht wird,
was gesagt wird, was getan wird.

Die Zügel werden für keinen Moment aus der Hand gelegt.

Hobbies:

Oliver Burkeman:

"[Karen Rinaldi] dedicates every spare moment she can to [surfing], and even wiped out her savings on a plot of land in Costa Rica for better access to the sea. Yet she readily admits that she remains an appaling surfer to this day. (It took her five years of attempting to catch a wave before she first managed to do so.) But 'in the process of attaining a few moments of bliss', Rinaldi explains, 'I experience something else: patience and humility, but also freedom. Freedom to pursue the futile. And the freedom to suck without caring is revelatory.' "

Das Gute:

Ein Wissen um einen höheren Drang im Menschen.
Dieser als das >Gute< in ihm.
Er treibt zu bestimmten Tätigkeiten hin.

Controlling versus Relating:

Probably many things about this Versus-Dichotomy could be critisized, nevertheless I will post some bullet points here. GPT:

-----

Controlling:

"Controlling behavior in relationships is about exerting power or dominance over the other person[.]"

"In controlling dynamics, there's often a lack of respect for the other person's autonomy."

"There’s often a suppression or concealment of true feelings, either out of fear or to maintain control."

-----

Relating:

"expressing oneself openly and honestly, and also actively listening to your partner"

"Relating involves respecting each other's ... boundaries. It recognizes the value of each person's individuality within the relationship."

"Both partners are ... contributing to and benefiting from the relationship."

Fröhliche Weihnachten! Merry Christmas!

 

Karl Hauptmann, Bernau im Winter 1919

Ich wünsche allen Lesern dieses Blogs ein schönes Feiern!

Merry Christmas to all readers of this blog!

The Sociometer and the Hierometer:

Rob Henderson:

"The psychologist Mark Leary and his colleagues have proposed that humans have a “sociometer.” This is a psychological mechanism that evolved to maintain self-esteem and social belonging. Everyone has a sociometer, and its purpose is to unconsciously monitor the social environment for signs of acceptance or rejection.

If our sociometer detects disapproval, you react with feelings that get us to correct our behavior and restore our esteem. Thus, you have feelings of foolishness, awkwardness, inadequacy, embarrassment, humiliation, and so on. These are unpleasant feelings. The experience of them or the prospect of potentially feeling them lead us to act in ways that increase our social acceptance and uphold our standing among our peers.

It's not quite the same thing as status. The sociometer is focused on communion, on getting along with others.

Then there’s the “hierometer.” This is a related but distinct psychological self-regulatory mechanism that tracks status. The hierometer’s function is to monitor our status and help us to navigate status hierarchies.

The hierometer is about agency (getting ahead), as opposed to communion (getting along).

This brings us to an interesting puzzle: Sometimes people will conceal their high-status accomplishments. People will give up signaling status in order to enhance feelings of belonging. Sometimes we want to avoid the envy of others, and downplay our achievements in order to better get along with the group. This isn’t the case for narcissists, though, who generally have no issue boasting about their achievements at the expense of feelings of belonging. Narcissists have an overactive hierometer and an underactive sociometer.

The hierometer tracks status, which is indexed by self-esteem and narcissism. It motivates us to be assertive to obtain social esteem. The goal is to boost our status.

The sociometer tracks inclusion, or belonging. This is indexed mostly by self-esteem, which regulates our affiliative behavior. The goal is to get along with others."

"people will sometimes conceal high status identities in order to better get along with others. This is expressed by humility, and the goal is to avoid envy and increase social acceptance."

"Communion is about getting along with others. Being understanding, cooperative, helpful, and so on. Agency is about getting ahead of others. Being assertive, confrontational, direct, imposing, and so on. People want to fit in and stand out. These two concepts capture these motivations."

"When we evaluate others, we implicitly ask ourselves, “Will this person help or hurt me?” and “Is this person capable of carrying out their goals?” We wonder how communal and agentic they are."

"A 2021 study found that frequent insults directed at men include: worthless, weak, poor, pussy, dumb, useless, scared. These attack their competence. And shithead, controlling, asshole, self-absorbed, and liar. These attack their moral character. For women, insults included worthless, poor, needy, disgusting, and annoying (attacking their competence). And slut, skank, gold digger, and shallow (attacking their moral character)."

[Siehe auch: Die hierarchische Sicht der Dinge]

No Drama:

Truly Sacred Things:

Robin Hanson:

"In the story I prefer (a story proposed by others, extended by me) humans long ago evolved a general capacity that functions primarily to bind groups together by their shared view of certain special things. Different groups treat different things as (more vs less) sacred, and it matters less what a group treats as sacred than that that group treats the same things that way.

I’ve come to realize, however, that those who are most invested in the idea of the sacred tend to object to this approach. In their minds, first there were special things that naturally deserved to be treated in a matching special way. Then humans were shaped (i.e., evolved or designed) to reflect these facts, and thus came to treat these special things in a matching special way. Finally, many humans lost track of which things deserve to be treated sacredly, but retrained a hunger and habit for treating some things as sacred. So they mistakenly came to treat many other less deserving things as sacred. For example, some say that humans have a “God-shaped hole” in their hearts, a hole that we try to fill with other things, but \we remain unsatisfied until we put God in the hole."

"I do want to make one key observation: if humans were shaped to treat a truly sacred thing in a special sacred way, then this special sacred thing can’t be a recent or as yet undiscovered thing. Most of our shaping wasn’t recent, and so if that shaping reflected distinctive features of special sacred things, those sacred things also cannot be only recent. Our ancestors, or their creators, must have had substantial experience with and exposure to these special sacred things and their many distinctive features.

For humans to have been shaped long ago to treat the sacred in its appropriate sacred manner, the sacred must have been around long ago, and important enough then to shape our natures. That is, if the sacred is real, it must be ancient."

Schreiben:

Man kann schon ursprünglich schreiben. Doch bevor man überhaupt schreibt, geht es wohl darum, einige gut geschriebene Bücher und Texte kennen zu lernen. Ein solides Gefühl für die wohlformulierte Textsprache zu entwickeln. Neben dem Äußeren ist das Inhaltliche großes Thema. Die inhaltliche Annäherung an einen Gegenstand führt selten am vorhandenen Bestand vorbei. Hier hat  sorgfältig gewählt und eine überlegte Auswahl getroffen zu werden.

Kaum was gesagt und dennoch: Es ist eine Lust zu schreiben, zu lesen, zu lernen, sofern die volle Aufmerksamkeit für bestimmte Zeitspannen hinweg zur Verfügung steht.

Weihnachtszeit:

Im Idealfall tritt man zur Weihnachtszeit aus einer Vielzahl seiner Pflichten eine Zeit lang heraus.

Dramamagneten:

Manche Menschen scheinen auf magische Weise Drama anzuziehen.

Dauerdrama als steter und treuer Begleiter.

Attraction to high-intensity drama + What is the essence of a drama fest?

 GPT:

"Drama, especially of high intensity, triggers strong emotional responses. This arousal can be exhilarating, providing a sense of excitement and engagement that might be missing from everyday life. It's similar to the thrill some people get from watching horror movies or engaging in extreme sports."

"Engaging in or observing drama allows individuals to experience intense emotions and situations vicariously, without the risks or consequences of actually being involved."

"Drama can create a sense of community or belonging, especially when shared among a group. People often bond over shared experiences, even dramatic or negative ones. Discussing, analyzing, and empathizing with the drama can foster a sense of connection with others."

"High-intensity drama can serve as a distraction from one's own problems or dissatisfaction. Focusing on external drama, especially that of others, can provide a temporary escape from dealing with personal issues or challenges."

"Certain personality traits, such as a high need for excitement, a propensity for thrill-seeking, or a tendency towards empathy, can make someone more attracted to drama. Additionally, some people might have a psychological need to feel important or central to exciting events, which drama can fulfill."

"The brain's reward system can be activated by the emotional highs and lows of drama, releasing neurotransmitters like dopamine. This can create a kind of 'addiction' to the highs of dramatic experiences, leading individuals to seek out more such experiences."

"In a culture where dramatic and sensational content is prevalent in media and entertainment, there can be a social conditioning effect. Constant exposure to dramatized narratives, whether in news media, television shows, movies, or social media, can normalize and even glorify high-intensity drama."

"It's important to recognize that while some attraction to drama is normal and can be harmless, an excessive preoccupation with drama can lead to negative outcomes, such as stress, strained relationships, and distraction from personal growth or more fulfilling pursuits. Understanding and moderating one's engagement with drama is key to maintaining psychological well-being."

-----

What is the essence of a >drama fest<?

>a "drama fest" can be understood as a situation or series of events characterized by intense, often exaggerated emotional conflicts, interpersonal disputes, or sensational happenings.<

"Drama fests are marked by strong emotions such as anger, jealousy, excitement, or distress. The intensity of these emotions often escalates the situation, making it more dramatic."

"At the core of a drama fest is some form of conflict, whether interpersonal (such as arguments or rivalry) or internal (such as moral dilemmas or personal struggles). This conflict creates tension and uncertainty, driving the drama."

"Events in a drama fest are often exaggerated or blown out of proportion. The focus is on sensational aspects, making the situation seem more critical or intense than it might actually be."

"Participants in a drama fest are usually deeply involved or emotionally invested in the situation. This can include people directly involved in the conflict as well as onlookers or bystanders who become engaged in the drama."

"A drama fest often unfolds like a story, with twists and turns, heroes and villains, and a sequence of events that build upon each other. This narrative aspect makes it captivating for those involved and observing."

"Drama fests tend to attract attention, whether from a small social group or a larger public audience. The visibility of the drama can be a driving factor, as some individuals may relish the attention and others may be drawn to the spectacle."

"Typically, a drama fest concludes with some form of resolution, where the conflict is addressed or dissipates. However, in some cases, it may escalate, leading to more significant consequences or further dramatic events." "The essence of a drama fest lies in its ability to engage emotions, create tension, and provide a narrative that is compelling to those involved or observing. While it can be a source of entertainment or catharsis for some, for others, it can be a source of stress or distraction. "

Ideale:

Gegebenenfalls assoziiert mit einem Gefühl, weit weg zu sein, von dem Punkt, der Stelle, wo man gern sein würde.

Digital Mimimalism:

Digital Minimalism, Cal Newport, via GPT:

Addictive Nature of Social Media: These platforms are designed to maximize user engagement, often at the expense of social and mental well-being​​.

Digital Minimalism Philosophy: This involves focusing online time on a select few activities that strongly support personal values, rather than indiscriminate use of digital services​​.

Importance of Solitude and Face-to-Face Communication: Emphasizes the value of spending time alone and engaging in direct, in-person conversations over digital connections​​.

High-Quality Leisure Activities: Encourages physical, creative, and social activities, contrasting with the passive engagement typically found in digital media consumption​​.

Avoiding 'Likes' and Comments on Social Media: Newport advises against using social media reactions and comments as substitutes for real conversation. These interactions are seen as superficial connections that can detract from more meaningful, face-to-face interactions​​​​.

The Pursuit of Happiness:

Mark Frauenfelder:

>"Everybody loves happiness above all else... This search also takes the form of resistance to whomever or whatever is perceived to jeopardize our happiness... seeking and resistance are the two main impulses that govern the thoughts and feelings..."​​

This quote highlights the universal quest for happiness, often sought in external factors. This relentless pursuit, a mix of seeking pleasure and avoiding discomfort ...<

Like-whoring:

Freddie DeBoer:

"Like-whoring is the basic problem with every social network depraved enough to have a “like” function, of course."

Death:

David Pinsof:

"Many eons ago, we humans—alone in the animal kingdom—became aware of our own mortality. It was a revelation that changed the course of history. Thoughts of death flooded our minds, paralyzing us with existential terror. Delusions of the afterlife were born, blossoming into the world’s religions. Alongside them came the yearnings for art, myth, and knowledge—parts of us that live on past our deaths. The fear burns inside us to this day, fueling our frantic obsessions and diversions, from shopping to selfies to plastic surgery to midlife crises. Modern existence is a series of increasingly desperate attempts to distract ourselves from the horror of our inevitable demise."

Depression:

via Evolution and Psychiatry:

"Social competition and rank theories (Price et al, 1994) propose that depression is an adaptive strategy for coping with a decline in social standing or rank. The depressed state is thus conceptualized as a subordinate state that signals both submission to more powerful adversaries and may help in eliciting help from others."

"The analytical rumination hypothesis (Andrews & Anderson Thomson, Jr, 2010) proposes that the depressed state may facilitate solving social dilemmas and decision making."

"Nesse (2019) has proposed that depression facilitates withdrawal and disengagement from unattainable goals with clinical depression arising when the goals are too important to be abandoned."

"Rantala et al (2018) have addressed the clinical heterogeneity within depression and suggested that, based on an evolutionary framework, major depressive disorder consists of twelve different conditions with proximate and ultimate causes, including infection, long-term stress, hierarchy conflict, grief, loneliness, traumatic experiences, post-partum events, romantic rejection, seasonal factors, chemicals, somatic disease and starvation."

Social Insulation:

Living Fossils, The Need for Social Insulation:

"In terms of mental health, I would argue that social insulation—the space between being social—is another critical aspect of our well-being, although the benefits might not be as straightforward as with sleeping and digestion. While we’re asleep, our brain is literally cleaning itself up.³ When we’re digesting, our stomach is clearing room for more. What happens when we’re not being social? The answer isn’t as simple, and perhaps that is why we don’t talk about it enough. But the general idea is that solitude allows us to turn off what one of my clients calls “the self-monitoring self.” In other words, we get a break from the stress of being around others."

...

"Recall from Loneliness that being social is a bet. Every social interaction has the potential to go well or poorly, and the outcome can matter a great deal because, as a social species, so much of our success depends on reputaton. That is why sociality is a performance requiring extra attention and energy. If it were not a performance, we wouldn’t fret over what to wear, recite our lines beforehand, or care about criticism and praise. But we do. Of course, being around those we know best hardly feels like a performance, and that’s what so nice about close relationships."

...

"each of us has a “press secretary” in our heads whose job is to monitor how we come across to others."

...

"Basically, sociality is a multiplier on our experience because the stakes are high. If we’re social and things go well, we feel incredible—usually much better than if we had spent that time alone. If things don’t go well, we feel terrible—usually much worse than if we had spent that time alone. Spending time alone, then—i.e., socially insulating—offers a respite from the demands and risks of being social."

...

"If I’ve just spent 8 hours exercising, I’m going to need sleep more than usual. If I’ve just finished two turkey legs by myself, I’m going to need a longer period of digestion (and maybe a nap, too). Likewise, if I’ve just had a session with an emotionally unregulated client, I’m going to want (although not necessarily get) a longer break before my next one.

The need for recovery, in other words, depends on the intensity of the preceding event.

The need for social insulation will therefore depend on whether preceding social interactions were stressful ..."

"There is a world of difference between communicating with someone who might fly off the handle at any moment and someone who, almost no matter what, will reflect before responding. Some studies even suggest that high expressed emotionality (EE) households are a risk factor for mental illness. Bottom line: being a good parent, manager, therapist, or friend depends on an ability to control emotions; someone who can do this is much less stressful to be around."

"public speaking is so terrifying: you have the potential to lose face in front of a bunch of people at once, something that otherwise you could only accomplish through many repeated trials."

"degree of performativity is a combination of a) what is on the line and b) the extent to which you must “act” to acquire it."

"when someone is aware of their need for a social buffer but cannot seem to get it"

"Tiara ... who constantly travels for work, family, and friends, and must wear a different mask in pretty much every social setting—often switching masks four or five times a day. ... The requirement to constantly perform anew leaves Tiara an anxious mess. What eventually deteriorates is nothing less than her sense of self. She describes feeling “ungrounded,” depersonalized, and unsure of what her “gut” is telling her. “I just don’t know how I feel about him anymore, Josh,” she’ll say to me of her romantic partner. “But then again, I don’t know how I feel about anything—him, my job, where I live, all of it.”

Amazingly, everything returns to normal once Tiara is back home for a few weeks. A big piece of her restoration is being surrounded by her things, sleeping in her bed, and re-establishing a routine. But another part is being far less social. She’s still working, but between her coworkers and the few friends in her neighborhood, the need to socially perform is drastically reduced. And—no surprise—she soon feels like herself again."

"his value in a social setting is partially defined by what he does alone: a round-trip bike ride to Lancaster, for example, or the book he just finished reading. Without these experiences in his back pocket, he finds that he has nothing to say—no value to add. Len and I are similar in that we repair to solitude to gain something which we can then “show and tell” the group later. Without it, we feel identity-less."

Pushback:

GPT:

>The saying "when you push a person, he will push back" is a metaphorical expression that conveys the idea of resistance or reaction to force or pressure. In a literal sense, it suggests that if you physically push someone, they are likely to push you in return. However, the broader interpretation is more psychological or social.

This saying is often used to describe situations where applying pressure, force, or aggression towards someone leads to an equal and opposite reaction from them. It's based on the principle that people naturally resist or react against what they perceive as aggression, pressure, or control exerted upon them. ...

Interpersonal Relationships: In a relationship, if one person is overly controlling or aggressive, the other might resist or fight back, either openly or subtly.

Management and Leadership: In a workplace, a manager who is too forceful or demanding might find that employees become resentful, less cooperative, or even rebellious.

...<

Charakter des Folgesatzes:

Der nächste Satz ergibt sich aus dem vorhergehenden Satz plus eine gewisse Zutat von außen.

Selbstbewusstsein:

Ein bisschen auch so:

Man hat da ein paar Aufgaben.

-----

Wie geht jemand mit seinen Aufgaben um?
Wie sehr nimmt jemand seine Verantwortlichkeiten wahr?

Mental Space Travel:

We can construct or reconstruct spaces from our memory.

Intuition:

Kethledge & Erwin:

"Intuition ... is not focused solely on what one is experiencing now, but instead draws upon all of one's experiences, past and present. ... intuition requires one not only to see, but to hear - to hear, specifically, a more quiet inner voice. True, sometimes intuition is empathetic; but more often it is subtle, modest, understated."

Liebe:

Ist Liebe dann schön, wenn jemand versucht, 

dreimal mehr auszudrücken als er erlebt?

Dazu ANONYM:

"Willst Du Dein Herz mir schenken,

so fang' es heimlich an,

dass unser Beider Denken

Niemand errathen kann."

Eben die Existenz von etwas Verborgenem

gibt dem Kennenlernen zu viel Reiz.

Farbe und Farbverlust:

Früher hatten Gegenstände noch eine Farbe.

Manche von ihnen büßten mit den Jahren einiges an Farbe ein.

Aus der Erinnerung lässt sich ihre Farbe neu schöpfen.

Stehen sie erneut vor einem, in voller Pracht.

The Man in the Arena:

Teddy Roosevelt:

"it is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who was actually in the arena."

Competence & Mate Choice:

Homicides:

via Aporia, Daly & Wilson:

"Homicide in Detroit, as elsewhere, is overwhelming a male affair. Victim and offender populations are almost identical, with unemployed, unmarried, young men greatly overrepresented. The most common conflict typologies are described, and it is suggested that many, perhaps most, homicides concern status competition."

The Attention Economy:

Multiple sources of information are competing for time and attention.

Das Passive:

Zustände in denen ein Mensch, mit Ausnahme von einem diffusen Wohlgefühl, nichts so recht will.

-----

Das Diffuse, wenig Strebsame, Untätige an einem Menschen.

-----

Passivität bringt kaum Gutes mit sich.

Relationships:

Is the Consensus Always Right?

Peter Frost:

"Disagree. Truth doesn't arise ex nihilo. It typically begins among a few thinkers, or perhaps even a solitary individual.

This is why I don't define "democracy" solely in terms of majority rule. It's also the right of individuals to express their views and exchange their views."

Farmers as the future middle-class:

Peter Frost: 

"Unlike most farmers (the serfs), independent farmers (the yeomen) had incentivizes to improvise. They thus had the right behavioral profile to become the future middle class."

Selection pressures for high g:

Peter Frost, Twitter:

"It's not so much cold winters as the selection pressure for planning over a yearly cycle."

Experiencing Beauty in Everyday Life:

Anna Lena Knoll et al., 2023:

"Beauty surrounds us; we may seek out beauty intentionally or happen upon it by accident. Humans’ ability to perceive and appreciate beauty, their sense of beauty, has been found to have a number of influences, including guiding attention, eliciting and enhancing emotions, and reducing stress5 . But why are we able to see and appreciate beauty in the first place? And what determines what we find beautiful? Evaluations of beauty are at least partly subjectiv, but there appears to be stronger agreement for natural stimuli (e.g., faces) than man-made stimuli (e.g., art). From an evolutionary standpoint, our ability to notice and appreciate beauty must have served a purpose in our evolutionary past or present. Thus, natural stimuli — such as faces — are evolutionarily relevant in that, for instance, their symmetry might be an indicator of genetic quality. Yet, symmetric faces are also perceived as more beautiful. Consequently, choosing a mate with a "beautiful face" is argued to also help us choose the mate with better genes. For man-made stimuli (e.g., art), evolutionary functions are less obvious. But does that mean that beauty we see in manmade objects is simply a by-product? Verpooten8 describes two opposing evolutionary accounts: 1) The standard evolutionary account of aesthetics that argues for direct selection, i.e. beauty helps us in selecting good mates (as in the example above) and suitable environments. Beauty in man-made objects is simply a by-product.) An opposing co-evolutionary account which proposes indirect selection by which aesthetic preferences shape aesthetic traits, such as the peacock’s tail. Beauty (or having a large tail) may start as an "honest cue" (larger tails = stronger mate) but then becomes a goal in and of itself (tail length is no longer indicative of mate quality). Beauty in man-made objects is a result of this runaway process. Currently, the literature mainly supports the standard account. This account suggests that people see beauty mostly in nature. Accordingly, a number of studies have shown preferences for natural landscapes over man-made environments, or what has been termed biophilia: a tendency to prefer life or lifelike objects and environments. Viewing such stimuli can affect emotions and well-being positively (e.g., increase happiness). Most people, however, spend more time in man-made environments, with urban areas estimated to house 60% of the world population by 2030. While urban areas are often limited in their access to nature they still hold great potential for beauty.

Within urban environments some elements are more likely to be seen as beautiful than others. For example, a study in Malaga, Spain found leisure sites, sites of cultural history, and places with panoramic views to be more appreciated than residential and industrial areas. Similar sites can be found in many cities, though their specific appearance may vary from city to city. Further, depending on the time of day, skylines may be appreciated as much as nature. Specifically, night-time skylines and natural landscapes are rated higher than daytime skylines. Yet, man-made environments with natural features (e.g., trees) are often preferred over those without. Nonetheless, these findings cannot differentiate if man-made beauty is a by-product (standard account) or an end-result (co-evolutionary account). Furthermore, the role of individual differences remains unclear. ... there are many other man-made stimuli in everyday life that we can appreciate for their aesthetic value. Following the idea of cultural evolution, other knowledge besides that of art may be relevant to the appreciation of everyday (man-made) aesthetics. For instance, forming connections to city environments (city relatedness) by experiencing urban life may shape aesthetic preferences towards the man-made direction, and connections to nature (nature relatedness) may strengthen the natural tendency for biophilia. Nature Relatedness (NR) entails people’s appreciation (including aesthetic), knowledge, and experience of nature. Since aesthetic appreciation (of nature) is part of NR it may affect what people find beautiful in their everyday lives. While exposure to nature can increase NR, many people are mainly exposed to urban environments. Thus, instead of, or in addition to, NR, people may develop City Relatedness (CR), referring to attitudes towards and experiences of city environments. Both can influence how we perceive the world around us and thus may affect evaluations of beauty in everyday (urban) environments. Finally, these accounts are domain-specific, however, our ability to perceive beauty can also be seen as domain-general. Here, appreciation of beauty is conceptualised as trait(-like) emotional and cognitive involvement with beauty, either on its own as Engagement with Beauty, or as part of the broader Big-5 personality trait ’Openness to Experience’. While everyone can appreciate beauty, someone with a high level of engagement may find more beauty within everyday life by intentionally seeking it out or simply noticing it more. People who have a higher appreciation for beauty in one domain (e.g., art) generally also have it in other domains (e.g., music) . However, it is also possible for people to have more appreciation for one domain than another."

-----

Beauty surrounds us on a daily basis and we find it in nature, in particular. This supports beauty as a relevant factor in our evolutionary past and present. While beauty’s original usefulness might lie in increasing evolutionary success, beautiful environments appear rewarding in and of themselves—encounters with beauty have a mood-boosting impact.

Aesthetics:

The human capacity to notice, appreciate, and generate Beauty.

Humility and Exploratory Behavior:

What happens if a person becomes aware of his limits combined with the experience of a strongly felt urge to go beyond these limits?

The Utilities of Science Fiction Literature:

via Rolf Degen:

"This study proposes that science fiction (sci-fi), a specific entertainment genre or theme, can facilitate self-transcendence (i.e., moving beyond self-boundaries) by inducing epistemic humility (i.e., awareness of one’s epistemic limits accompanied by epistemic openness)."

Casual Sex:

Rolf Degen:

"In the presence of an attractive person, people downplayed their desire for casual sex."

Movies:

Life is great as long as you can see a well acted (and well scripted) movie now and then.

Autistic Map Games:

via Twitter / Varangian Chronicler:

Telling the Truth:

Quintus Curtius:

"Don't ever hesitate to tell people the way it is. Doesn't matter if it's a client, friend, family, loved one, etc. Because when you tell the nerds the truth, then it becomes THEIR problem. You take the monkey off your back, stick it on THEIR backs."

Chaos:

J. Peterson:

A person living in a highly chaotic / disorganized place.

"...then you think: Is that their house? Is that their being? Is that their mind? And the answer is: There's no difference."

Streben nach Oben:

Besser werden, in der Auswahl an Information,
die aufgenommen und konsumiert wird.

Viel wesentliche Information bringt eine Streckung

des Wissens und der Fähigkeiten mit sich.

Unwesentliche Information führt zu 

einem Verweilen im ewig Gleichen.

Twitter:

Twitter nicht gar so ergiebig.

Allgemeineres Thema:

"Reize, die sich rasch erschöpfen."

Exoten:

GPT:

" 'Du bist ein Exot unter uns' ist ein Ausdruck aus dem Deutschen ... Dieser Satz wird oft verwendet, um auszudrücken, dass jemand oder etwas in einer bestimmten Gruppe oder Situation ungewöhnlich, einzigartig oder deutlich anders ist. ...

[Es kann] bedeuten, dass die Person durch ihre Eigenschaften, Verhaltensweisen, Fähigkeiten, Herkunft oder Ansichten als besonders oder andersartig im Vergleich zum Rest der Gruppe angesehen wird. Es kann sowohl eine positive Konnotation haben, im Sinne von einzigartig und faszinierend, als auch eine negative, wenn es bedeutet, dass sich die Person nicht gut in die Gruppe integriert oder nicht den üblichen Normen oder Erwartungen entspricht."

-----

Exot:

Lebewesen (Mensch, Pflanze, Tier), das aus einem weit entfernten Gebiet stammt

-----

GPT:

"Ursprünglich bezieht sich "Exot" auf Pflanzen, Tiere oder Gegenstände, die aus einem fremden Land oder einer anderen Region stammen ... In diesem Sinne bezeichnet es etwas, das nicht heimisch oder typisch für die lokale Umgebung ist."

"Im übertragenen Sinne kann "Exot" eine Person oder Sache beschreiben, die aufgrund ihrer ungewöhnlichen, außergewöhnlichen oder seltenen Eigenschaften als besonders oder interessant angesehen wird. Es impliziert oft eine Faszination für das Ungewöhnliche oder Andersartige."

Das Ansprechen:

Wir sprechen auf eine bestimmte Sache an.

Sie scheint uns wertvoll oder interessant zu sein.

Neben der äußeren Welt, findet sich eine innere Welt,
die eben aus jenen Gegenständen besteht,

die ein innerliches Angesprochenwerden hervorrufen.

[Siehe auch: Wertansprechbarkeiten]

Philosophie:

Die Welt ein werthaltiger Gegenstand, schlichtweg deshalb, da in ihr viel angestrebt werden kann oder uns Menschen anstrebenswert erscheint.

Zusätzlich ist es auch interessant, dass in der Welt so viel und vieles technisch möglich ist. Denkbar sind Welten, in denen weit weniger technisch machbar wäre.

Besonders möchte ich mich auf die Arbeitshypothese von Freeman Dyson rückbeziehen [Freeman Dyson's Gedanken zu einer Brauchbaren Philosophie].

Ausmisten:

Ich werde da einiges ausmisten, auf diesem Blog. Vor allem 2020 und 2021 wurde hier außergewöhnlich viel Unfug geschrieben.

Beyond the Obsession with Mindfulness:

Todd Kashdan:

>In The Upside of Your Dark Side, Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener and I wrote a provocative chapter titled, “Beyond the Obsession with Mindfulness.” In it, we discuss how sometimes the best decisions occur when we engage in a bit of mindless distraction. To be precise, there are four steps:

1. Mindful contemplation of the situation.

2. Stop and take a break.

3. Distract yourself in an unrelated activity.

4. Make a decision.<

Falling PISA Test Scores in the Developed World:

Noah Smith:

"In my last roundup, I pointed out that American kids actually do pretty well on global test scores, except in math. But that’s a relative measure. In fact, test scores have been falling all over the developed world since around 2010:

Source: Derek Thompson

The U.S.’ good relative performance is partly because we’ve fallen a little less than other countries. In general, students are just not doing well, all over the globe.

Why? When you see an international trend like this, you should automatically be suspicious of political or institutional explanations, because those are country-specific. Woke politics or education funding cuts or whatever are highly unlikely to explain a trend this broad. Instead, we should look at technological trends, since in the absence of a world war, technology is the main thing that affects the whole developed world more or less simultaneously.

The timing of the dropoff makes it pretty clear what the chief suspect is here: Smartphones."

Sehnen:

Das Verlangen nach etwas sehr Fernem.

Gegenstände:

Unter tausenden Gegenständen finden sich zuweilen einzelne Gegenstände, die so viel Reiz haben, und die ihren Reiz kaum zu verlieren scheinen.

Das Werden von Freundschaft:

Freundschaft entsteht weitgehend spontan. Oft ist es nicht ganz klar, warum oder wie sie genau mit dieser oder jener Person entstanden ist.

[Auch interessant: Gedanken über die "Likability"]

Freie Zeit:

Eine Stunde Freiheit am Tag: Das ist schon was! Aber manchmal braucht's doch eher vier bis sechs Stunden freie Zeit.

[Freie Zeit als Zeiträume, in denen weder äußere noch innere Zwänge oder Pflichten bestimmen, was getan zu werden hat.]

Change Your Life in Three Months:

Emotions:

Josh, Living Fossils:

"emotions are adaptations, meaning they evolved because they helped our ancestors pass on their genes. A person without emotions would not fall in love, would not endeavor to re-establish their good name after it had been sullied, and would not take precautions when a twig snapped in the forest. Emotions, in short, help us respond to environmental stimuli in ways that are adaptive."

Infectious Ideas / The Sick Mind:

I like the idea that some ideas are actually infectious.

Dutton tries to explain such processes or disease outbreaks 

in great detail in his book "Spiteful Mutants":

An individual can suffer from some sort of "zombification" caused

by the generation or absorption of too much ideological junk.

When and Why People Conceal Infectious Disease

Wilson Merrell; Joshua Ackerman; Soyeon Choi

Abstract

People sick with infectious illnesses face negative social outcomes like exclusion and may take steps to conceal their illness from others. In ten studies of past, current, and projected illness, we examined the prevalence and predictors of infection concealment in U.S. samples of university students, healthcare employees, and online, crowdsourced workers (total N=4,110). About 75% reported concealing illness within interpersonal interactions, possibly placing others in harm’s way. Concealment motives were largely social (e.g., wanting to attend events like parties) and achievement oriented (e.g., completing work objectives). Disease characteristics including potential harm and illness immediacy also influenced concealment decisions. People imagining harmful (versus mild) infections concealed less frequently, whereas actually sick participants concealed frequently regardless of illness harm, suggesting state-specific biases underlying concealment decisions. Disease concealment appears a widely prevalent behavior whereby concealers trade off risks to others in favor of their own goals, creating potentially important public health consequences.

Mehrwert und das Nachdenken:

(Effektive) Arbeit macht etwas mit einem Gegenstand und bringt es mit sich, dass der Gegenstand ein Mehr an Wert erhält.

Analog bringen Gedankengänge eine Bearbeitung von Eindrücken mit sich. Eindrücke in bearbeiteter Form haben für uns bzw. für unser Handeln mehr Bedeutung und Nützlichkeit als Eindrücke in unbearbeiteter Form.

Texte:

Viele Texte haben einen nie angesprochen: Und dann plötzlich oder allmählich, mit den Jahren, öffnen sie sich doch. Oder öffnet sich die eigene Aufmerksamkeit für sie.

Bücher:

Die Kunst, lange Abende mit Büchern zu verbringen: Die Lösung für fast alles?

Thinking:

Cal Newport:

"but when I say think here I mean something very specific: I mean giving sustained attention to potentially complicated or ambiguous information with the ultimate goal of building a new conceptual structure that has value to yourself or to the world."

-----

"most people prioritize a sort of high energy emotion in the moment over the subtler satisfactions of real understanding and appreciation"

-----

"improve the quality and decrease the quantity of information that you consume"

"stop using social media algorithms to curate your news flow"

-----

"when there's something going on in the world you care about, you should get a book written by an expert, someone who has spent years working on this artifact, based on many more years of actually engaging with these topics. And you get this beautiful artifact that you can hold and consume in about a week or two that is going to give you as deep or nuanced an understanding of a topic as you're ever likely to get outside of actually studying that topic professionally."

-----

"if your brain is used to this idea that it is never bored, that when it lacks novel stimuli you will always feed it a shiny digital treat in the form typically of your phone or an iPad or a browser tab that's going to give you something emotionally salient in the moment, it can't tolerate serious thinking"

Unruhe:

Die Unruhe hält vom Verweilen ab. Stachelt immer wieder zur Tätigkeit und zu Änderungen an.

-----

Die Unruhe kann aber auch verhindern, an einer Sache,
an einer wertvollen Sache haften zu bleiben.
Kann verhindern, dass eine Festlegung statt findet.

Sorge:

Die "Angst" kann schon vor so Manchem warnen; Hinweise von Innen, dass so Manches beachtet und im Blick behalten werden sollte.

Zeitmangel:

Die Sorge, zu wenig Zeit zu finden, für als wesentlich empfundene Tätigkeiten.

Beyond Self-Improvement:

Zu Deutsch:

Jenseits der bloßen Selbstverbesserungsmoral

Wie viel Gutes geschieht rein aus echtem Interesse an einer Sache?

Gleich ob nun dieses Interesse als Neugier, Wissensdurst, Spieltrieb,
usw. ... , bezeichnet werden sollte.

Sonderstellung des Menschen:

Moral macht unser Leben so artanders. Dass wir Manches bewusst als hochstehend, als wertvoll, als besonders beachtens- oder anstrebenswert erleben und erleben können.

Das ganze Tierwelt strebt, doch kann sich der Mensch einen bewussten Zugang zum Streben erarbeiten.

Der bewusste Zugang zu der Welt der Werte färbt ein Menschenleben in einer sehr eigenen Weise ein, durchformt es und gestaltet es.

[Siehe auch: Gedanken zu einer brauchbaren Lebenshaltung]

Philosophie der Werte:

Der Mensch allein weiß um das Hohe und Wertvolle an und in dieser Welt.

Das explizite Werten als das Menschliche schlechthin.

Das explizite Zubewegen wollen auf als wertvoll Erkanntes als Moral.

Hedonismus:

Als Weltanschauung, die exklusive Bejahung von Dem, was angenehm ist.

Werte:

Standards und Werte, sie lassen sich schon angreifen und gegebenenfalls zu Fall bringen. Aber wie geht's dann weiter? Ohne Werte?

Was kommt, wenn Werte fallen? Neue Werte? Halbe Werte? Keine Werte?

Honesty:

Robin Hanson:

"I have taken a less restrictive kind of honesty upon myself - to avoid statements that are literally false - and I know that this becomes more and more difficult, more and more of a disadvantage, as I deceive myself less and less."

"I wonder what it would be like to have anyone in the world, even a single person, who you could absolutely trust. Or what it would be like for there to be anyone in the world, even a single person, whom you had to tell all your thoughts, without possibility of concealment."

Humans as Altruistic Animals:

“Do you believe humans are kind and altruistic animals and why/why not?”

Steve Stewart-Williams: "We are and we’re not. It’s a little like asking if H2O is a liquid. It is in certain circumstances, but not in others; sometimes it’s a solid or a gas."

"Humans come factory equipped with the brain areas involved in caring and empathizing, and with the brain areas involved in hatred and aggression. But these brain areas – these evolved propensities – are activated by environmental circumstances. They have to be; the only alternative would be that they’re activated permanently or at random, neither of which would very useful. Instead, we have an evolved tendency to react to the environment in ways that were typically adaptive for our ancestors."