Attention Capitalism
As someone who works in tech, I like the analogy of a DoS attack. The root of the issue is attention capitalism. Our attention is essentially a resource being exploited for profit. In that scenario, we're effectivley no longer in control of our own free will as long as someone else can profit by controlling it. On an individual scale, we can give it relatively benign labels like "distraction". But when you look at it from macro scale it's effectively a DDoS attack on our free will perpetrated...
notes Earthseed 66
66. Adulthood
Earthseed is adulthood.It’s trying our wings,Leaving our mother,Becoming men and women.
We’ve been children,Fighting for the full breasts,The protective embrace,The soft lap.Children do this.But Earthseed is adulthood.
Adulthood is both sweet and sad.It terrifies.It empowers.We are men and women now.We are Earthseed.And the Destiny of EarthseedIs to take root among the stars.
∞ = Δ notes Earthseed 56-60
56. When vision fails
When vision failsDirection is lost.
When direction is lostPurpose may be forgotten.
When purpose is forgottenEmotion rules alone.
When emotion rules alone,Destruction…destruction.
∞ = Δ
57. Self is
Self is.Self is body and bodilyperception. Self is thought, memory,belief. Self creates. Self destroys. Selflearns, discovers, becomes. Selfshapes. Self adapts. Self invents itsown reasons for being. To shapeGod, shape Self.
∞ = Δ
58. Immortal Life
Take comfort... notes Earthseed 11-20
11. The Paradox
Why is the universe?To shape God.
Why is God?To shape the universe.
∞ = Δ
12. A Tree
A treeCannot growIn its parentsʼ shadows.
∞ = Δ
13. The Destiny of Earthseed
Destiny of EarthseedIs to take root among the stars.
∞ = Δ
14. Consequences
To get along with God,Consider the consequences of your behavior.
∞ = Δ
15. Power Struggles
All strugglesAre essentiallypower struggles.Who will rule,Who will lead,Who will define,refine,confine,design,Who will dominate.All strug... notes The Destiny of Earthseed
The Destiny of EarthseedIs to take root among the stars.It is to live and to thriveOn new earths.It is to become new beingsAnd to consider new questions.It is to leap into the heavensAgain and again.It is to explore the vastnessOf heaven.It is to explore the vastnessOf ourselves.
We are Earthseed.We are flesh—self aware, questing, problem-solving flesh.We are that aspect of Earthlife best able to shape God knowingly.We are Earthlife maturing,Earthlife preparing to fall away from the pare...
1 The Great Learning (大學)
What the Great Learning teaches is: to illustrate illustrious virtue; to renovate the people; and to rest in the highest excellence.
大學之道在明明德，在親民，在止於至善
The point where to rest being known, the object of pursuit is then determined; and, that being determined, a calm unperturbedness may be attained to.
知止而后有定；定而后能靜
To that calmness there will succeed a tranquil repose. In that repose there may be careful deliberation, and that del... notesPresented in another way, with original and translation next to one another.
How Plants and Animals Survive in Their Environment
Plants and animals are separated by about 1.5 billion years of evolutionary history. They have evolved their multicellular organization independently but using the same initial tool kit the set of genes inherited from their common unicellular eucaryotic ancestor. Most of the contrasts in their developmental strategies spring from two basic peculiarities of plants. First, they get their energy from sunlight, not by ingesting other organisms. This dictates a body plan different from that of ani...
1 Animals spend energy to maintain an internally consistent state, while plants change their state in response to the environment.
The Great Learning (大學)
古之欲明明德於天下者，先治其國；欲治其國者，先齊其家；欲齊其家者，先修其身；欲修其身者，先正其心；欲正其心者，先誠其意；欲誠其意者，先致其知，致知在格物。物格而後知至，知至而後意誠，意誠而後心正，心正而後身修，身修而後家齊，家齊而後國治，國治而後天下平。自天子以至於庶人，壹是皆以修身為本。其本亂而末治者否矣，其所厚者薄，而其所薄...[Translation] The ancients who wished to illustrate illustrious virtue throughout the kingdom, first ordered well their own states. Wishing to order well their states, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their persons. Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their hearts. Wishing to rectify their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts. Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts, they first extended to the utmost their knowledge. Such extension of knowledge lay in the investigation of things. Things being investigated, knowledge became complete. Their knowledge being complete, their thoughts were sincere. Their thoughts being sincere, their hearts were then rectified. Their hearts being rectified, their persons were cultivated. Their persons being cultivated, their families were regulated. Their families being regulated, their states were rightly governed. Their states being rightly governed, the whole kingdom was made tranquil and happy. From the Son of Heaven down to the mass of the people, all must consider the cultivation of the person the root of everything besides. It cannot be, when the root is neglected, that what should spring from it will be well ordered. It never has been the case that what was of great importance has been slightly cared for, and, at the same time, that what was of slight importance has been greatly cared for.
Human Drives That Open Us to Memes
Here are a few second-order instinctual drives some people seem to have that are all opportunities for memes to take advantage of:
- Belonging. Humans are gregarious-that is, they like company. There are any number of evolutionary reasons for the existence of this drive, including safety in numbers, economies of scale, and simply the presence of more potential mates. Memes that give people a feeling of belonging to a group have an advantage over memes that don't.
- Distinguishing yourself. ... notesThere are instinctual needs humans have that memes exploit to take root in our minds.
