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Life is a game, this is your strategy guide

oliveremberton.com

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Re: Life is a game, this is your strategy guide

#81

Post by allthatisgold »

VLM wrote: post #74
f_salmon wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And there's a major logical error in it: > At the start of the game, you had no control over who you were or your environment. By the end of the game that becomes true again. This implies that you have some sort of control between the start and the end - which is completely untrue, because: What genes you get from your parents and in what environment you are put will determine everything that will happen in your head…

You're getting unfairly voted down rather than responded to. A reasonable disagreement is pointing out you're assuming zero randomness in the universe (which includes in your head, and everyone elses head, I'm not a mind-body dualist) so no development of unique new ideas, or having unique new experiences or perceptions, both of which feed on each other to generate new echos of randomness long after something interes…

Are there truly random events at the sub-atomic level? Or could it be simply that we don't understand yet what's happening but everything is deterministic? If it's the former, then there is no destiny, it is not determined.

The effect of these tiny random events would propagate upwards and perhaps cause an apple to fall from a tree. A sub-atomic particle vibrating randomly in a certain way could fire a neuron, giving you a new thought.

Even if life isn't determined, can you really say there is free will? You can't control the way that sub-atomic particles will behave, you may have the illusion of control in your head but at the end of the day it would come down to physics and randomness.

Personally, I don't find this opinion a healthy one, so I tend not to dwell on it much.

Re: Life is a game, this is your strategy guide

#82

Post by f_salmon »

VLM wrote: post #74
f_salmon wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And there's a major logical error in it: > At the start of the game, you had no control over who you were or your environment. By the end of the game that becomes true again. This implies that you have some sort of control between the start and the end - which is completely untrue, because: What genes you get from your parents and in what environment you are put will determine everything that will happen in your head…

You're getting unfairly voted down rather than responded to. A reasonable disagreement is pointing out you're assuming zero randomness in the universe (which includes in your head, and everyone elses head, I'm not a mind-body dualist) so no development of unique new ideas, or having unique new experiences or perceptions, both of which feed on each other to generate new echos of randomness long after something interes…

> you're assuming zero randomness in the universe

No, actually not. The current state of research in quantum physics makes it look like there is randomness. But the thing about randomness is: Nobody has any control over it. So again, life (and the universe) may not be fully deterministic, but we have no absolute responsibility for whatever happens (only a relative one, relative to our culture, that is).

> Also it assumes no social interaction with others

No, of course we have social interactions, which influence us. But they are themselves a function of 1) our genes (i.e. whom we approach or not) and 2) our initial location (with all its properties).

Re: Life is a game, this is your strategy guide

#83

Post by daGrevis »

I would like to share my opinion on living life.

What is the main goal? Some may think that it's getting better at something to get a raise and more money. First there is a school, then there is the 1st job, the you try to get a better one and you are trying and trying and trying to get higher. In my opinion, that's not the main point and it's just a side-effect of the life.

Article suggests that 1st 15 years of life is a training or a tutorial, but I disagree. They are as much as important as any other time period. Person should do what makes he or she happy. If it's playing video-games or spending time with friends at a bar, it's okay. Of course, it won't affect your skills on getting a better job (so more money), but if it makes you a happier person, do it! Life is all about being happy and doing what you love to do.

There is no magic-prize at the end of the life, only memories. What will be the point of having much money and good CV in you will sacrifice your happiness on it.

In my opinion, this video[1] nicely shows what I'm talking about.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERbvKrH-GC4

Re: Life is a game, this is your strategy guide

#84

Post by bjourne »

girvo wrote: post #55

This got a whole stack of upvotes, reached #1 on HN... But most of the comments here are super negative. That's weird, why would that be?

My theory is that many of us (probably including myself :)) doesn't have much clue on the rules of the game. Imagine playing chess (something many of us are very good at!) and being unable to think one move ahead. The ability to visualize what will happen in the next move is not in your brain. No matter how much practice you put in or how many games you play, you still get beaten even by children because you make horrible blunders like placing your queen unprotected next to a pawn. Sounds frustrating doesn't it? Now imagine someone writes a short chess tutorial basically amounting to "Just practice and think logically!" It would rub you the wrong way, wouldn't it?

Re: Life is a game, this is your strategy guide

#85

Post by JimWestergren »

f_salmon wrote: post #59
onion2k wrote: post #22

Every time I see an article like this I just want to grab the readers and shout "Read a philosophy book!" to them[1]. Literally every point in every article on how to live a happy life was being made by the likes of Seneca and Aristotle thousands of years ago, and there are good reasons why those writers are still the foundation for philosophy today - they were right. [1] I would recommend something like "Philosophy…

And there's a major logical error in it: > At the start of the game, you had no control over who you were or your environment. By the end of the game that becomes true again. This implies that you have some sort of control between the start and the end - which is completely untrue, because: What genes you get from your parents and in what environment you are put will determine everything that will happen in your head…

Well, I'm at the opposite scale of thinking.

I think that inherited genes and location only plays a smaller part - but it depends on the person. For a normal western person my personal belief is that it is less than 10%.

I am a strong believer in free will and it's what makes us so different than animals. Animals have insticts and very little free will.

The thing is that if you believe in free will you have more free will as you will change your way of thinking. At least I believe that.

Back in 2007 I wrote an essay "Life As a Game of Chess": http://www.jimwestergren.com/life-as-a-game-of-chess/

Re: Life is a game, this is your strategy guide

#86

Post by _mulder_ »

Ygg2 wrote: post #9
whizzkid wrote: post #5

Small things that should be mentioned about this game, so far i have played; - Multiplayer is the only option you can select. - There is no pause button. - Your character is truly random selected so expect anything. - There is only one map which is way too big, I haven't had time to go most of the places yet but not complaining. - You only have one chance to survive the game, no 'save the state' option. It is a uniqu…

> Your character is truly random selected so expect anything. Actually no, it's more like PRNG. Which stands for Predictably Random Natural Genetic. Lack of save state is really bad though. Also humans are hard to grasp. Really poor UI.

I see what you're getting at, but I disagree; you can't really chose your parents can you. So from your point of view, however you end up when you're born, is actually completely random and out of your control.

Re: Life is a game, this is your strategy guide

#87

Post by chiph »

theorique wrote: post #45
onion2k wrote: post #22

Every time I see an article like this I just want to grab the readers and shout "Read a philosophy book!" to them[1]. Literally every point in every article on how to live a happy life was being made by the likes of Seneca and Aristotle thousands of years ago, and there are good reasons why those writers are still the foundation for philosophy today - they were right. [1] I would recommend something like "Philosophy…

But Seneca and Aristotle never wrote SEO-optimized 7 item listicles or produced YouTube linkbait. "This crazy Greek drank Hemlock. What happened next will blow your mind."

"Philosophy Students Hate Him - One Weird Trick To A Lifetime Of Happiness"

Re: Life is a game, this is your strategy guide

#88

Post by baby »

datphp wrote: post #73
baby wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This implies that you have some sort of control between the start and the end - which is completely untrue. You're just saying you believing in destiny. I believe the inverse. And we will never know the truth so please don't start with a "which is completely untrue" when it's just an opinion.

Causality (in which most people believe, even though they never abstracted it far enough to realize the implications)

Causality doesn't imply you have no control at all in your life.

Re: Life is a game, this is your strategy guide

#89

Post by charlieflowers »

f_salmon wrote: post #59
onion2k wrote: post #22

Every time I see an article like this I just want to grab the readers and shout "Read a philosophy book!" to them[1]. Literally every point in every article on how to live a happy life was being made by the likes of Seneca and Aristotle thousands of years ago, and there are good reasons why those writers are still the foundation for philosophy today - they were right. [1] I would recommend something like "Philosophy…

And there's a major logical error in it: > At the start of the game, you had no control over who you were or your environment. By the end of the game that becomes true again. This implies that you have some sort of control between the start and the end - which is completely untrue, because: What genes you get from your parents and in what environment you are put will determine everything that will happen in your head…

I've been looking for a book or other source that makes a case for this worldview in a straightforward, logical way that is as simple as possible (but no simpler).

Can you recommend one?

Re: Life is a game, this is your strategy guide

#90

Post by baby »

allthatisgold wrote: post #81
VLM wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're getting unfairly voted down rather than responded to. A reasonable disagreement is pointing out you're assuming zero randomness in the universe (which includes in your head, and everyone elses head, I'm not a mind-body dualist) so no development of unique new ideas, or having unique new experiences or perceptions, both of which feed on each other to generate new echos of randomness long after something interes…

Are there truly random events at the sub-atomic level? Or could it be simply that we don't understand yet what's happening but everything is deterministic? If it's the former, then there is no destiny, it is not determined. The effect of these tiny random events would propagate upwards and perhaps cause an apple to fall from a tree. A sub-atomic particle vibrating randomly in a certain way could fire a neuron, giving…

I like the idea of seeing life as deterministic or not. It's definitely a matter of "belief" when you put it that way. Although my scientific mind tells me nothing would exist if true random didn't exist. Thus the universe is not deterministic. But that's a question we'll never be able to answer anyway.

This is why I downvoted the parents by the way. I feel like there is no safe discussion when it starts with strong opinions ("which is completely untrue"). There is no right or wrong here so better be open minded.

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