Posthumanism
It’s dawning on me how much we are slaves to our own bodies. I’m disgusted by this as a concept in much the same way I’m emotionally repulsed by the idea of having to do anything just because there are hierarchies and traditions in place – and you blindly follow the guy in front of you.
Anything that disempowers my own ability to pick and choose what I want – is something I hate. To be less abstract, I didn’t do the social rites of passage just because everyone else did. No high school graduation for me. I wouldn’t even attend my own college graduation for my combined Masters/Bachelors degrees if I didn’t already have a uniform (so it cost nothing to go – I wouldn’t have to spend money on a cap and gown).
Anyway, the Idea that I’m in control – that I control my own fate – nothing is more detrimental to this notion than being in the flesh bag that is my body.
This is not a new Idea. I can’t remember when this Idea started, but I’ve said out loud that I wished I was a robot. Same consciousness, same memory, same everything – except the weakness of my flesh.
Of course, not only is this science fiction, but physically (or metaphysically), it’s impossible – I wouldn’t be “me” without my body.
What, for example, would I be without my physical cravings? My Idea is that I would be better.
Look at what occupies my day, for example. In bed by 10pm and not after 11pm to try to get enough sleep – only to feel groggy in the morning every time. Workout for at least an hour – and the commute to get there – after work. Work itself – where 20% of each paycheck (post-tax) goes to just maintain myself to make it to the next month: rent and food.
Where would man be without sexual desire? He’d be more productive. Where would man be without aggression? There’d be more peace.
The swirling vortex of chemicals and the emotions they induce – we are nothing but a bunch of apes on a big ball.
That cocaine and heroin can artificially induce dopamine – shows you how flawed the dopamine system is. That I’m dependent on a fucking chemical that I could live a million lifetimes and never discover (on my own) as the reason for my happiness and motivation to do anything in life is fucking absurd.
How could I ever tell how much of my choice is my choice? Is willpower a decision or do I have more dopamine than usual floating around my neurotransmitters – or however the fuck it works.
If you have chronic depression – you have a sustained loss of interest in life – it’s very clearly not your choice. Because of some sick sequence of unfortunate events, your body is genetically or neurologically predisposed to chronic depression. Congratulations, short of a neurological miracle, you get to play the game of life on hard mode and with gray shaders on. What a fucking joke.
If you're conventionally unattractive, you’re out of luck. You can workout and have cosmetic surgeries, but you’re polishing brass on the titanic. You’ll be judged (on first contact) to be inferior to “normal” people by society and by everybody else – including myself. We can’t help it – our ape brains can’t see past it – and it’s no fault of your own, though it’ll be judged to be a moral failing.
If you’re genetically predisposed to being fat, see above paragraph.
If you’re born, like, stupid or something, life will probably be much harder for you. See above paragraph.
Why do I enjoy anything? Does anything have inherent enjoyment – or is it all the body’s reward system? I mean do I even have authentic interests besides my body’s manipulation of my apparent “desires?” I didn’t fucking choose to prefer calorically dense foods over celery and I most certainly didn’t choose sexual desire – which based on my personality – I would never fucking opt-into. Being dependent on someone else for your happiness? Yeah, no thanks.
Every time I deny the hedonistic desires of my blind flesh – it’s like a small spiritual (whatever that means) win. Fuck you body. I’m in control here (I’m not). My body, then, retaliates by withholding dopamine reward, which is like withholding crack cocaine from a homeless junky – essentially a Pyrrhic victory.
There’s no real you – there’s just the brain. Damage or alter the brain and “you” will be damaged and altered. Our memories are so weak and paltry. What did you have for lunch yesterday? What did you do on Thursday last week? Who fucking knows – not you.
Mugshots don’t work because memories are not reliable. You live in the present – that’s really it – like a hamster ball of consciousness: perfectly contained within the interior of the hamster ball. I’ll take as many photos as I can – and it’s lucky that I enjoy writing so much. But at least 90% of my life is experienced and then forgotten, like a fart in the cosmic winds. Data can be storied and replicated – memories cannot. If our minds were metal and wheels instead of fleshy sponge, we’d be all the better for it.
This sort of tirade might sound insane (at least practically speaking – it is) – only in postmodern thought and man’s hubris – could a person – me – want to escape the very essence of what he is: a bag of meat.
What recently happened that sharpened focus to the vulnerability of myself to my body (also myself). Because of some confluence of genetics (10% chance, apparently) and habits: kidney stones. I’ll spare the details except to say: A. I’m disgusted my body would produce something this disgusting and self-defeating and B. the pain will shatter your ability to do anything while it lasts – reducing you into the animal you are – doubled down and focusing on just making it to the next minute of existence.
I hate my body. Trying to eat healthily (now sardines, carrots, apple, blue/blackberries for lunch – Sweetgreens and Cava instead of typical restaurant fare – salmon, spinach, and broccoli for dinner – pistachios instead of chips). Exercising everyday – just to maintain NOT being fat – because I have the type of job where you sit down all day. Trying to get enough sleep. Hydrating like a motherfucker.
So much of life is spent trying to maintain life.
How much money and finite time will you spend on medical care? How much of my emotional energy did I expend throughout my teens and early adulthood futilely picking at acne until medical grade Accutane carpet bombed my body for six months (super worth it, god bless America) to get rid of something that is only detrimental to you in a cosmetic/aesthetic and social sense?
I want to be liberated of this – that’s fucking right – I’m proponent of posthumanism. In all those science fiction movies – where there are cyborgs and body modifications à la Deus Ex – yes.
There’s nothing inherently noble about the human body anymore than there’s anything inherently noble about “natural” aging – which is a disease – or cholera – which is more obviously a disease.
We were not made in god’s own image because god isn’t real. If he was – and we were – than god’s bod probably isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Or god has a sick sense of humor – like he’s some kind of sociopath.
I’ll end by saying that in my favorite college class, there was this thought experiment about if you would choose to live in a Dyson sphere-powered supercomputer virtual reality. You could have or do anything you wanted. It’d be great.
At the time and in the wide-eyed naivety of my college youth (instead of the jaded wisdom of my mid-twenties, lol), I was like, “no, I’d rather suffer through the organic and realness of life instead of the glitzy, but ultimately fake unreality of VR. I’d miss my family and friends, who are real people. And ultimately, I’m no hedonist.”
But here’s the rub: we’re all hedonists or hedonists in denial. We were never given the choice to be anything else when we were born into this world cloaked in the weaknesses of our flesh. Maybe one day – not in my lifetime – we can finally escape into our purer selves.
the thought experiment you are referring to I believe is the experience machine. also, my conclusion of where I want to go is not transhumanism but I have had many of the thoughts that you shared in the beginning and middle parts, like it's crazy how spot on your thinking is to mine in some regards. check out my recent post 'why manly men are actually girly girls' if you want, it kind of going along these lines but in a more humorous way.
Dear diary
interesting thoughts. why not share.
it sounds like you need the following
if you got constant enjoyment you'd adapt to that, look up hedonic adaptation. the beauty of life is in its variability and its impermanence. you can choose to be angry of your circumstance or look at it like a challenge and try to make the most of your time here as a dumb ape on a dumb ball that will blow up and never be remembered in the grand scale of time. it's up to you. for me? amor fati
I want to say that this was more of a general stream of consciousness than any practical call to action. I’m aware of sleep hygiene and getting sunlight/exercise for dopamine (I’ll run or work out everyday now), less screen time is a good one.
This is more of just an idea and a futile idea at that about the nature of our physical existence. Band aids over the deficiencies of the human body doesn’t change the idea that we are flawed and better things are possible in the (far) distant future.
I really don't get the point of this. so what if our existence is futile? so what if we're not perfect? so what if there are deficiencies?
There’s not a point in the sense that’s there not a point to philosophy. Haven’t you ever wondered who you really are without the demands of your body? If pure consciousness is possible in the (far) future, wouldn’t it be better than this? That’s what I think post-humanism is about.
I believe the self is an illusion. this could all be a simulation, I could be a soul that has inhabited many other bodies without the knowledge of who/what those bodies were, or maybe the body is absolutely essential to be a part of the self. I think that those types of questions are unanswerable and unknowable with our current intelligence, so no, I don't spend time wondering about that outside of deep psychedelic experiences, but even then it's mostly postulation and I come to the conclusion that I have no clue, and even if I did know what would I do with the info, and then I get back to "I better get back to enjoying the present moment."
this is where we part ways, I don't care what's in the far distant future, because I have zero control over it. I'm deeply attached to stoic philosophy and don't spend time worrying about things over which I have no control. sure I think about them, but I don't fret. sure I set goals and make plans for the future, but I break those down into daily/weekly actions because life is short and I could die tomorrow, and I'd rather be spending good meals with my wife, enjoying nature with my dog, travelling, catching waves and RNCs than worrying about the far future, in other words, the present moment and near present moments are in my control, not the future. I also think it's a massive waste of time to think about something in the far future that's not even conceivable just because it could be better. you know what could be better? your next hour, tomorrow, next week. that's why I only think briefly about the big questions and then get back to enjoying the process and all of the little moments along the way.
think of it like this - you will be on your deathbed someday. imagine yourself there, do an imaginary accounting of your life. what will you wish you had done more of? what will you wish you had spent less time on? will you have wished you thought more about a posthumanist future when you're 90 years old? likely not. you'll wish you'd spent more time with loved ones, invested in more experiences, perhaps learned more skills, and so on. that's what matters in my opinion.
to finish this out, a quote from my favorite stoic - "we suffer more in imagination than reality." so get out of your own imagination once in a while, it's a beautiful world out there.
nice reply. i like your outlook on life.
does this perspective comes with the years/experience or did you read something in the past that changed you?
if it's the last, could you recommend some books? thx
thank you sir
it comes with a whole lot of livin, a whole lot of readin, and my work in PWM. because of us having close relationships with clients, I see how others live, what brings joy, anxiety, sadness, emptiness, etc., it's not what I expected when I signed up, but it's worked out that way.
in terms of living, what's impacted me is seeing loved ones waste their lives away with complaining about things outside their control, drifting along the seas of life rudderless (because they don't have values nor goals to guide them), near death experiences for me, I once lost everything I owned in a fire, and relatives, clients, and friends' health issues & premature deaths. or just noticing people not making the most out of life and focusing too much on the future, like this true story: working your whole life to be able to retire early and forgoing experiences but then covid hitting and getting cancer at the same time, now you've got 8 figures but no passport stamps or memories to show for it, what's the point of that? if you pay attention to those things and really reflect on them, you can't help but come to the conclusion that every day is a gift, material possessions don't matter, it can all end unceremoniously so you better not wait til tomorrow to start living, and finally, amor fati.
in terms of books
the other part of this is what I consume in terms of media & entertainment. I don't have cable, I don't have social media, I don't watch national news (30-60 mins of local news daily when I make breakfast with my wife). it's really easy to keep your attention on what you can control when all you do outside of work is travel, read, exercise, and spend time with loved ones. it's really hard when you're constantly seeing the best versions of others lives in those other media, which I didn't fully realize until I completely exited it all. I think my biggest philosophical breakthroughs in terms of life contentment have come not from something I added or some book I've read, it's come from cutting out shit that freed up space for the mind to do what's nurturing for it, rather than feeding it junk food all the time like politics, instathots & tiktok. I will close with this - be ready to be a bit of a weirdo if you go down this path. I'm not saying this out of pride (bc pride is the worst of the sins imo), but I am unlike almost everybody I encounter. I can find common ground with anyone, but I'm an oddball. if you've always wanted to fit in, this path isn't for you. I've never fit in, so it was a logical and I'd argue easier thing for me to do. just wanted to issue that warning
I realize that was a bit rambling (that's my style though) so if anything needs clarifying let me know
what a legend
I would want to get your advice on something that I'm having trouble managing and maybe others too
I want to know how to accept failures without letting those drag me into a downward spiral. For example, I may be eating healthy, gym, reading, etc. but sometimes I have some big failures: not passing an important interview, eating junk food when trying to stick to a diet, etc., and because of this failure then I'm like "well, if I fcked this up then what's the point on keep going" and I may eat junk food for the next week, skipping reading, skipping gym, etc. I think this is about trying to be a perfectionist and whenever you face the smallest error/lack of control then you breakdown temporarily.
so what's your advice on managing those things? did u experience something like that? self-control goes on energy so u need to have better perspectives/mechanisms to face those when you're out of energy, and I would like to get some good perspectives/mechanisms from you
thx for the recommendations, I just ordered meditations and letters from a stoic
sure thing man, I built my business based upon cold calling (99% fail rate) in a business with a >95% fail rate, I know all about failure
I'm sensing a couple things from your post, but I think it all comes from one central thing - you're acting tactically (good) but also thinking tactically (bad). think strategically (long term) and the tactics will be easier to stick to in my experience. for example, you want to eat healthy and exercise and then fall off the wagon, happens all the time. you've got to have those tactics based in something that's meaningful to you, in other words, you have to have a WHY. why do you want to be healthy? is it like me, that you saw sedentary lifestyles almost take your parents from you before you turned 30? because you want to chase hurricane swells and that's more grueling than sparring with hungarian dudes 2x your size? or is it just because you enjoy looking good and all of the benefits that come with that? another analogy that may help, a tactic without a strategic vision/value is like a weed, sure it can grow fast and you notice it all the time, but its roots are shallow, the first hardship that comes along can rip it out. no my friend, you want to plant a tree. takes longer to take hold, but once it does, it's unflappable, come what may (apart from catastrophe, like I wouldn't be able to surf if I lost all 4 limbs).
next, focus on repeatable actions in the context of those long term goals. you're interviewing because presumably you want a better job, whatever that means for you. you failed the interview? good. you likely learned something about yourself in the process (good), were underqualified for the job (also good, don't wanna be thrown to the wolves), or it's just not meant to be (also good). if you are consistent in showing up and doing the right things, success will find you, so every failure is one step closer to success. an analogy I often bring myself back to is my cold calling days. I knew how many dials I needed to get to the first yes, so I just treated the nos like water off a duck's back, they're bound to happen, but it's part of the process. ditto for sports, in baseball even the best hitters fail >60% of the time, so if you're getting down in the dumps, just keep showing up and doing the right things.
the other thing is your question about why keep going., to which I'll reply "what's your other choice?" your choices are not "keep going and hope you get success" versus "stop now and have fun" your choices are continuing on the path or wasting away for the rest of your life, and unless you kill yourself (not recommended) that is a long time to be miserable. I'd rather die trying to make the most of myself than just give up, and when I remember that all of the greats had failures along the way, it makes it an easier pill to swallow
another thing is giving yourself some grace. like me, I stayed in a couple of armbars and triangles too long and my shoulder's a bit fucked. I will not go hard in the gym today or tomorrow, but that's OK, I may even skip a workout (GASP). that's OK, so long as I get back after it. some nights, I can't be bothered to read and all I wanna do is mindless nonsense, that's OK, your mind needs breaks from time to time. what works for me is still showing up but with less intensity. say I'm a bit hurt or exhausted and can't be bothered with an intense circuit like I normally do. fine, I'll do yoga and then hit the sauna, maybe some very light cardio or just a long walk with the dog. the key is consistency, you must keep showing up. with eating, just don't keep junk in the house, not much more to say on that. throw away all of the bad stuff and don't buy it again, simple as that if you have a problem.
you're not getting the locus of control part right. you assume that if you do the right action you get the right result. WRONG. you have no control over results, you only have control over your own actions, and until you surrender to that fact you'll continue to have this angst. victory for you lies in completing what needs to get done. reading that chapter, doing those pullups, showing up early to the interview prepared. beyond that? it's out of your hands, I just firmly believe that if you are consistent enough for long enough, you will win at life.
and, to quote a great philosopher (young jeezy), if you find yourself wondering what the point of all this work is, ask yourself if you don't do it, "and then what?" because if you pull on that thread long enough you'll find that giving up is a one way ticket to being a loser
more on how I think about goal setting here: https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/off-topic/personal-development-bo…
He needs that and some bitches
miss me with that bro. hedonism is an empty pursuit. companionship is where you can find true fulfillment. yes, you need to fulfill your physical desires but I've noticed personally and anecdotally with my circle of friends that those who are constantly chasing (and often closing) beautiful women are far less satisfied then those of us with loving companions. so I'd rephrase that to he needs connections with the sex of his choosing, not just bangin bitches, because that'll give you some nice stories, but also STDs and an empty soul.
Simple answer: humans are just biological machines, which exist primarily to propagate their genetics (from an evolutionary perspective). Any other meaning you derive from life is something you'll have to define for yourself as an intrinsic goal.
You can either enjoy the ride or make yourself miserable, but that's just the facts.
TLDR, but tried
lol, appreciate it.
it's posts like this that make me appreciate religion and spirituality more and more every day.
Glad I could help
no bid?
Brother you need to get laid
Why don't you do that with him?
He pre-emptively gave a response:
>Every time I deny the hedonistic desires of my blind flesh – it's like a small spiritual (whatever that means) win. Fuck you body. I'm in control here (I'm not). My body, then, retaliates by withholding dopamine reward, which is like withholding crack cocaine from a homeless junky – essentially a Pyrrhic victory.
Thanks Elon
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