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Flowers for Algernon (1965) [pdf]

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101–110 of 272 posts

Re: Flowers for Algernon (1965) [pdf]

#101
post #50

That twist could be seen coming from a mile away. Years and years of media consumption probably. ("Seinfeld is not funny")

It's 50 years old and has been parodied and copied many times.

Not only that but the author specifically wanted to write a "classic tragedy". Of course it hits familiar story beats.

Re: Flowers for Algernon (1965) [pdf]

#102
post #94
post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everyone thinks they are familiar with the Dunning Kruger effect. Probably 95% of people get it wrong. [I am not a psychologist, but here is my summary of how I think the real effect works... Let's say we have a skill we can be assessed on a scale of 1-10. 1 is worst, 10 is best. The popular perception of the Dunning Kruger effect is that people lower on the scale, say 2 or 3, rate themselves highly - say 7 or 8. And…

You can't call out a percentage of people you plucked from thin air on not understanding something, then qualify your understanding as your own interpretation. Are you aware that your whole post just said "Nobody understands the version of this thing in my head?" This us a studied thing. You need sources and conclusions drawn from them, not your own speculation (not that it was horribly off the mark, but come on, man…

Sure they can, it's called a joke.

Re: Flowers for Algernon (1965) [pdf]

#103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can still go die in the forest. One fellow had a book written about him for doing just that.

It's not the dying that matters. It's the opportunity to live in the forest that I would like. Life and death are part of existence and we should not try and escape that. It is only the pathological dream of modern technologists to escape death, which creates a rather abysmal life.

Consider taking up backpacking as a hobby (e.g. follow the /r/appalachiantrail subreddit,) or maybe volunteer with a scout troop that keeps an active hiking/camping schedule.

Re: Flowers for Algernon (1965) [pdf]

#104
Like others, this story was very impactful on me (and still is).

Over the years, though, my understanding of “intelligence” has evolved and I’m of the opinion today that “it” is several independent (but not unrelated) things: the abilities to learn, to remember, to recall, to connect, to imagine are all manifest in different combinations to different effect. That complexity an nuance shows in people and explains so much.

Re: Flowers for Algernon (1965) [pdf]

#106
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I discovered that intelligence is like height. It helps with the ability to reach but effort matters more. I was lazy for twenty years and put effort behind the wrong energy. If I understood risk, consistent effort, and emotions better, I would have retired in my mid twenties.

What would you have needed to understand about risk and emotions to have retired in your mid twenties?

If i retired in my mid twenties I think I would still hate myself. Knowledge of algorithms doesn't feel like labor to me it still feels like a curse. I'm pretty braindead and hardly self-sufficient now but I'm glad I never took any of the big payouts I had presented to me in my youth. I still don't know what I would do with myself if I had any significant amount of money that wasn't earned off labor but instead me selling my stake in companies / projects / what-have-you.

Re: Flowers for Algernon (1965) [pdf]

#107

My biggest fear. The nightmares I had for years after reading. They returned, years later, when observing Alzheimer's from up close, in family members. No way out, no cure. Memory, reasoning capabilities, character, everything that makes you yourself decline, disappear; you're still breathing, but you're more dead day after day. And then, when you stop being aware of all that... does it make it better? or worse? I do…

I'm of the belief that in such a situation, a pre-cognitive decline "living will" or dead man switch is appropriate.

If I were diagnosed with dementia, I'd build automation to ensure that I'd appear to die a natural death when I enter the steep slope of cognitive decline. It's as easy as tying the results of frequent cognitive tests into a moving average that triggers my medication dispenser to start mixing in a toxin and or substituting key medication that keeps me alive with a sugar pill. These days, without the right medication, I'd be dead from "natural causes" in a week.

Re: Flowers for Algernon (1965) [pdf]

#108

My biggest fear. The nightmares I had for years after reading. They returned, years later, when observing Alzheimer's from up close, in family members. No way out, no cure. Memory, reasoning capabilities, character, everything that makes you yourself decline, disappear; you're still breathing, but you're more dead day after day. And then, when you stop being aware of all that... does it make it better? or worse? I do…

Would you prefer to suffer through something like cancer, fully aware of your decline and unable to do anything but with the will to do so? Or just be completely unaware of what is going on but not necessarily in poor health? Dementia is certainly terrible in a unique and disturbing way for the afflicted and people that care about them, but Im not so sure some of the more understandable alternatives would be preferable.

Re: Flowers for Algernon (1965) [pdf]

#109

I think FfA is a bigger part of our culture than we realize. I use it to describe the 12 hours between waking and adderall wearing off and most people track (a non-frivolous comparison).

Sorry can you elaborate or provide a link to what you're alluding to? Is Adderall generally considered an intelligence booster?

> Is Adderall generally considered an intelligence booster?

I'd say it boosts ability to utilize cognition. For me it thins brain fog and clarifies what I can see on the other side.

With it, I can reason to the point where learning and understanding happens. For a period of time. Most days.

Re: Flowers for Algernon (1965) [pdf]

#110

My biggest fear. The nightmares I had for years after reading. They returned, years later, when observing Alzheimer's from up close, in family members. No way out, no cure. Memory, reasoning capabilities, character, everything that makes you yourself decline, disappear; you're still breathing, but you're more dead day after day. And then, when you stop being aware of all that... does it make it better? or worse? I do…

Throw in the late Edward Wellen's "Mind Slash Matter" for another variation.
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