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The hypersane are among us, if only we are prepared to look

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Re: The hypersane are among us, if only we are prepared to look

#31

Post by hyperpallium »

motohagiography wrote: post #13

The point of diminishing returns on sanity occurs sooner than almost everyone expects. Surprised nobody has yet mentioned Douglas Adams' "Wonko the Sane," who built an asylum turned inside out to house the whole world. Many comedians would qualify as this as well. I know a few people I would consider "hypersane," and you can't have too many of them around because they are immune to the various arbitrages that create…

I never realized you should moisten the end of a toothpick to soften it before use - the instruction instigating Wonko's asylum.

DNA is one of my favourite authors, but seems I'm on the wrong side of the asylum door...

Re: The hypersane are among us, if only we are prepared to look

#32

Post by codesnik »

checktheorder wrote: post #22
motohagiography wrote: post #13

The point of diminishing returns on sanity occurs sooner than almost everyone expects. Surprised nobody has yet mentioned Douglas Adams' "Wonko the Sane," who built an asylum turned inside out to house the whole world. Many comedians would qualify as this as well. I know a few people I would consider "hypersane," and you can't have too many of them around because they are immune to the various arbitrages that create…

>Surprised nobody has yet mentioned Douglas Adams' "Wonko the Sane," who built an asylum turned inside out to house the whole world. Many comedians would qualify as this as well. I'm also thinking of the Terry Pratchett concept of being "knurd". On the Discworld, the opposite of being drunk isn't being sober - sober is the middle ground on the drunk/sober/knurd scale. To be knurd is to be so completely aware of every…

I only now have realised it's "drunk" spelled backwards. And probably reads the same as "nerd"

Re: The hypersane are among us, if only we are prepared to look

#33

Post by oroeo92k »

kerkeslager wrote: post #23
nlh wrote: post #16

My interpretation of the point the author is trying to make: The 'hypersane' are those among us who have realized, for better or for worse, that the traditional things that most in a society strive for - material wealth, social status, conformity to social structures, etc. - aren't really the keys to happiness and that when you "awaken" (and become hypersane, I suppose) you realize that along with those things come s…

> The 'hypersane' are those among us who have realized, for better or for worse, that the traditional things that most in a society strive for - material wealth, social status, conformity to social structures, etc. - aren't really the keys to happiness and that when you "awaken" (and become hypersane, I suppose) you realize that along with those things come stress, anxiety, the rat race, and, well, a pretty boring ex…

It’s possible to encounter a concept and not emotionally “get it.”

It’s one thing to hear about something on TV and another entirely to change your entire life.

If it were “gotten” by the masses via Disney shows, we’d all stop chasing it at all.

Social ties and bonds existed before money, achieved via other means.

So yeah we don’t all “get it” in the same way. As someone with enough to retire on at 40, money feels pretty pointless to me. Same old cheeseburger or whatever Gates said.

It’s what other people gave me for satisfying their goals. ️

Economic anxiety, a policy pushed by financial planners, is what motivates. Not money.

Re: The hypersane are among us, if only we are prepared to look

#34

Post by xkcd-sucks »

nlh wrote: post #16

My interpretation of the point the author is trying to make: The 'hypersane' are those among us who have realized, for better or for worse, that the traditional things that most in a society strive for - material wealth, social status, conformity to social structures, etc. - aren't really the keys to happiness and that when you "awaken" (and become hypersane, I suppose) you realize that along with those things come s…

That sounds like a claim made by people that have enjoyed immense privilege. One could also claim that, while life is intrinsically "meaning"less, the existence of a body is all there is, and making the body comfortable is a worthwhile

Re: The hypersane are among us, if only we are prepared to look

#35

Post by toasterlovin »

nlh wrote: post #16

My interpretation of the point the author is trying to make: The 'hypersane' are those among us who have realized, for better or for worse, that the traditional things that most in a society strive for - material wealth, social status, conformity to social structures, etc. - aren't really the keys to happiness and that when you "awaken" (and become hypersane, I suppose) you realize that along with those things come s…

> the traditional things that most in a society strive for - material wealth, social status, conformity to social structures, etc. - aren't really the keys to happiness

> Thoughts?

Happiness isn't the point of life. Keep digging.

Re: The hypersane are among us, if only we are prepared to look

#36

Post by throwaway94857 »

pas wrote: post #30
nlh wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> In reality, all those "realizations" are so mainstream that they show up in Disney movies. and yet...

the rat race (material comfort) is addictive. money works wonders. and it's easy to get stuck in a local minimum. (mortgage, kids/family need a lot of resources)

Competition is as innate to animal life as is breathing. It's naive to think we can simply ignore our drive to compete with one another, as naive as thinking we can ignore hunger thirst or sexual desire.

Re: The hypersane are among us, if only we are prepared to look

#37

Post by kerkeslager »

patientplatypus wrote: post #26
kerkeslager wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The 'hypersane' are those among us who have realized, for better or for worse, that the traditional things that most in a society strive for - material wealth, social status, conformity to social structures, etc. - aren't really the keys to happiness and that when you "awaken" (and become hypersane, I suppose) you realize that along with those things come stress, anxiety, the rat race, and, well, a pretty boring ex…

The point is not realizing what one should do but internally valuing it on an emotional level so you do it every day - not because you have to but because you want to. "Realization" is only the first step - the Buddhists would say this is "right thought" but also there needs to be "right action" etc etc. This describes me well as I've gone through having that realization due to some extreme peak experiences. It makes…

> The point is not realizing what one should do but internally valuing it on an emotional level so you do it every day - not because you have to but because you want to. "Realization" is only the first step - the Buddhists would say this is "right thought" but also there needs to be "right action" etc etc.

Agreed.

> This describes me well as I've gone through having that realization due to some extreme peak experiences. It makes life harder as well as more interesting, although I'm not sure if I'm better or worse off. I care more about things that are broken in society which I cannot fix, although I try where I can.

Okay, but caring more doesn't matter. So basically you're saying you have the right thought, but aren't taking the right action because most of the time you feel you can't. Yep, that's the problem: right action is hard, right thought without right action is pretty pointless, and even right action doesn't always produce right results.

> I think you may believe it is "self-congratulatory" because in typical society someone only acts different from another in order to advance oneself in the hierarchy.

No, I believe it's self-congratulatory because nlh (like most people) likely doesn't act different from anyone else.

I know I'm criticizing you and nlh here, but I don't mean it unkindly. The same criticism is true of me.

Re: The hypersane are among us, if only we are prepared to look

#38

Post by bdamm »

nlh wrote: post #16

My interpretation of the point the author is trying to make: The 'hypersane' are those among us who have realized, for better or for worse, that the traditional things that most in a society strive for - material wealth, social status, conformity to social structures, etc. - aren't really the keys to happiness and that when you "awaken" (and become hypersane, I suppose) you realize that along with those things come s…

I've lived on the non-conforming side of society. It can be very difficult to live with the cruelty that brings.

Re: The hypersane are among us, if only we are prepared to look

#39

Post by AtlasBarfed »

Seems like myth dressed up as pop science.

But we basically live in an insane world, and navigate it only by denialism, tunnel vision, ignorance, or distraction.

If we were to actualize knowledge of the massive destruction of the natural world and the insanity of the path of capitalism, it would make someone crazy by the definition of the masses.

Imagine someone screaming at the top of their lungs about the forthcoming destruction of the world and the evils of our economic structure, like some stark raving mad lunatic man of religion pounding a book.

Well, sensible people will turn their head and start talking about football, traffic, money, or a tv show.

Huxley was right, in the end.

Re: The hypersane are among us, if only we are prepared to look

#40

Post by scottLobster »

patientplatypus wrote: post #26
kerkeslager wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The 'hypersane' are those among us who have realized, for better or for worse, that the traditional things that most in a society strive for - material wealth, social status, conformity to social structures, etc. - aren't really the keys to happiness and that when you "awaken" (and become hypersane, I suppose) you realize that along with those things come stress, anxiety, the rat race, and, well, a pretty boring ex…

The point is not realizing what one should do but internally valuing it on an emotional level so you do it every day - not because you have to but because you want to. "Realization" is only the first step - the Buddhists would say this is "right thought" but also there needs to be "right action" etc etc. This describes me well as I've gone through having that realization due to some extreme peak experiences. It makes…

Someone who doesn't believe in the hierarchy wouldn't be asking it for validation. That's why it sounds self-congratulatory.

I'd also say that trying to make yourself "want" things that are inherently unpleasant can be a fool's errand, depending on your definition of "want". Cold, detached action is often needed to bridge the gaps between waves of fickle motivation.

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