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My Subconscious Is a Better Developer Than I Am

blog.johnnyreilly.com

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Re: My Subconscious Is a Better Developer Than I Am

#101

Post by thomyorkie »

dmfdmf wrote: post #93
thomyorkie wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think argument still has a place in a world where freewill is illusory. Surely, one's opinions can change when presented with new evidence, regardless of whether that change originated from a free agent's conscious choice or a more deterministic background process of which one's consciousness is only partially aware. Furthermore, that change in opinion can have a meaningful effect either positively or negatively fo…

Again, for the benefit of those who want to understand, you are smuggling in freewill via the concept "argument". You have no right to use that concept given your denial of freewill and it doesn't matter how many exceptions, qualifications or obfuscations you put on the concept "freewill", it is either a real capacity of our minds or it is not. The essence of your position is that you are trying to convince me to cha…

You are making assumptions. I never claimed I don't think freewill exists. Also, why would the absence of freewill prevent your mind from being changed based on the evidence another presents to you?

Re: My Subconscious Is a Better Developer Than I Am

#102

Post by bemmu »

DanBC wrote: post #56
Klathmon wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had a discussion with my friends many years ago that your comment reminded me of. I don't "visualize" things I think about automatically. I'd need to concentrate on trying to visualize pizza to see it and even then it's a vague visualization with no real defining features. When casually thinking about pizza I don't visualize anything. Some of my friends couldn't not visualize what they were thinking about. If they…

There have been a couple of articles about aphantsia on HN. I'm having trouble finding them. Here's two https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10148792 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11554894

How can I know that having / not having aphantasia is a real thing? Our bodies are otherwise so similar that it would be surprising if our brains were wildly different in operation.

If people are able to "see" their thoughts in the same way as they see something with their eyes, wouldn't it be difficult to think about a cat while driving a car, because the cat would be in your visual field? Or is the "mind's eye" somewhere else, if so where do you feel it is?

If I think about a cat, it's kind of a concept. If I try to think harder, I can sort of trace its tail and fur and ears, but it seems very different to actually seeing one. Just as when I imagine a taste, it's very different from actually tasting something (otherwise I would just imagine food all day without actually eating as much).

The only time when these seem the same is when dreaming.

Re: My Subconscious Is a Better Developer Than I Am

#103

Post by inimino »

dmfdmf wrote: post #93
thomyorkie wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think argument still has a place in a world where freewill is illusory. Surely, one's opinions can change when presented with new evidence, regardless of whether that change originated from a free agent's conscious choice or a more deterministic background process of which one's consciousness is only partially aware. Furthermore, that change in opinion can have a meaningful effect either positively or negatively fo…

Again, for the benefit of those who want to understand, you are smuggling in freewill via the concept "argument". You have no right to use that concept given your denial of freewill and it doesn't matter how many exceptions, qualifications or obfuscations you put on the concept "freewill", it is either a real capacity of our minds or it is not. The essence of your position is that you are trying to convince me to cha…

If you believe the sky to be green, someone may walk you outside and you will see the sky is blue. You do not choose at that moment to change your belief. You do not change your mind, your mind changes. There is no free will necessary here because updating your belief in response to evidence is not a conscious choice.

(Just explaining, personally I consider the question of free will to be a non-question.)

Re: My Subconscious Is a Better Developer Than I Am

#105

Post by cyphar »

BatFastard wrote: post #7

Personally I find when I run into an intractable problem, what works for me is to exercise. For me that is riding my bike on quite paths. It sets my mind free and increases blood flow. Fertile ground for solving problems.

I second this, but I prefer to go for jogs instead. Then again, I've recently started to enjoy exercise for itself and I feel that I'm much calmer in my head when jogging or walking than when I'm sitting still. So maybe its just a product of being calm so you can think about the problem in a less stressful environment.

Maybe that's why so many people say that meditation helps. Personally I prefer exercise though.

Re: My Subconscious Is a Better Developer Than I Am

#107

Post by branchless »

lazydon wrote: post #31

If you look carefully enough its not only the developer in you but anything meaningful or living in your life is done by someone other than what you usually refer to as me. Normally, such phenomenon is mostly associated with ideas we get on waking up or during shower or exercise. My observation is that whenever you do anything that's unscripted or unplanned - it's "someone else". Say - answering well an interview wit…

You are two https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfYbgdo8e-8

I always come up with good ideas when relaxed, usually when not working on the problem (showering / running).

God why are they working us to death?!

Re: My Subconscious Is a Better Developer Than I Am

#108

Post by branchless »

charlieflowers wrote: post #45
lazydon wrote: post #31

If you look carefully enough its not only the developer in you but anything meaningful or living in your life is done by someone other than what you usually refer to as me. Normally, such phenomenon is mostly associated with ideas we get on waking up or during shower or exercise. My observation is that whenever you do anything that's unscripted or unplanned - it's "someone else". Say - answering well an interview wit…

Think about what happens when you decide where to eat for lunch. There's an internal process whereby you propose various images (hamburger? pizza? Mexican?). Something else "inside you" says, "Nah, that doesn't sound good. Hmm, maybe. Yeah, that!" Who are you asking? Who is answering?

Without trying to sound like a complete schizophrenic, I feel like I am me, but when I read about something like your post and I actively think about where my ideas come from, I feel like the person suggesting them is just ahead of me and that the act of trying to observe my own thoughts sees him duck down faster.

I can only liken it to trying to catch yourself looking to the side in a mirror in front of you. Clearly impossible but as a kid I recall trying this. Tantalising.

And in a few minutes I'll forget this other me and he and I will work together in concert until the next time someone blows his cover with a blog post.

Re: My Subconscious Is a Better Developer Than I Am

#109

Post by [deleted] »

charlieflowers wrote: post #45
lazydon wrote: post #31

If you look carefully enough its not only the developer in you but anything meaningful or living in your life is done by someone other than what you usually refer to as me. Normally, such phenomenon is mostly associated with ideas we get on waking up or during shower or exercise. My observation is that whenever you do anything that's unscripted or unplanned - it's "someone else". Say - answering well an interview wit…

Think about what happens when you decide where to eat for lunch. There's an internal process whereby you propose various images (hamburger? pizza? Mexican?). Something else "inside you" says, "Nah, that doesn't sound good. Hmm, maybe. Yeah, that!" Who are you asking? Who is answering?

[deleted]

Re: My Subconscious Is a Better Developer Than I Am

#110

Post by ZeroFries »

dmfdmf wrote: post #93
thomyorkie wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think argument still has a place in a world where freewill is illusory. Surely, one's opinions can change when presented with new evidence, regardless of whether that change originated from a free agent's conscious choice or a more deterministic background process of which one's consciousness is only partially aware. Furthermore, that change in opinion can have a meaningful effect either positively or negatively fo…

Again, for the benefit of those who want to understand, you are smuggling in freewill via the concept "argument". You have no right to use that concept given your denial of freewill and it doesn't matter how many exceptions, qualifications or obfuscations you put on the concept "freewill", it is either a real capacity of our minds or it is not. The essence of your position is that you are trying to convince me to cha…

I would contend the opposite: all forms of indeterminism are self contradictory. Where does your free will come from? Either a choice is predetermined or it's truly random. What else could it be?
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