The species will not end. Cultures will. MIgrants bring their own cultures and, in some smaller countries, the capability to outvote "natives". Maybe this is just nature's way of making sure humanity doesn't grow comfy ;-)
Honestly, I don’t think the species will end that way, either. Not only do you make a good point, but we also have a particular knack to introduce struggle even into situations where it’s unnecessary.
But, I think our future might be brighter than that. I could definitely be wrong, but I still root for humanity to be it’s best self.
Fascinating! Mice experiments. Human consciousness in holographic dimensions meeting non-human consciousness. And advice of those who unsubscribe. I've got to circle back on this one, Joe. Too much interesting stuff happening at every new sentence to settle on one pass through!
“Fire the CEO, Keep the Janitor” yep, good thing this line of thinking is getting more sunshine lately 👏
On the missing page 25: a long time ago I found it, read it and it really didn’t have anything earth shattering in it.
Anyways, good stuff, I’m off to put an eye mask on and a pair of headphones before I teleport to Focus 15 for some needed manifestation work before lunch.
Thanks JD. I remember coming across Universe 25 in a psych class at uni. What struck me then (and still does) is how quickly the experiment gets misread as “abundance causes collapse,” when it’s really about loss of role, purpose, and relational meaning inside abundance.
I appreciate your insistence on this not being a resource problem, but rather a structure-of-meaning problem. Third places disappearing, roles hollowed out, struggle abstracted into metrics rather than lived contribution.
I’m less convinced the outcome is irreversible for humans, though — precisely because we can re-author purpose consciously, rather than default to biology alone (although according to determinism of course, this is still controversial). And in any case, this still feels like an apt warning for our times.
Personally I hope we do find that courage to forge new meaning. After all, our struggles haven't vanished - they've mutated.
Singularities loom, old myths die, and existential meaning needs to be reinvented. And our lives are no less fatal than ever been. But the question now seems to be whether we can face these challenges awake, rather than under anesthetic.
I honestly don't think it'll get us like it did the mice. It'll get a portion of humanity, but not all of it.
I think a good example would be an AI-led Utopia, where an artificial general or super-intelligence was benevolent and ushered us into an era of post-scarcity. This would naturally mean a lot of jobs we have today would disappear, done more efficiently by robots and other means.
Those who base their whole identity in their work or careers would likely struggle a lot to find any sort of meaning. I think those who are more creative minded wouldn't have much of an issue. We'd have to much fun creating or farming or seeing the world.
Cool JD - I feel cautiously optimistic too (or at least feel that courage and optimism are as much as a survival requirements as a choice).
And I expect there is quite a lot in the near-ish future that will test our courage.
So many challenges coming with myriad potentials: like with that looming super-intelligence you point to.
If we are able to get over our ourselves, ie. our ego-investment in social roles likely to be replaced soon - there might really BE new possibilities for human ‘being’ that could be alternately defined…
And a curiosity question JD (that I hope is not too impertinent:)…
Did I read on your profile that you are an ordained minister? And if so, do you mind my asking if this changes how you imagine - or go about tackling the human challenges to come?
It's uncanny and scary how the universe 25 experiment parallels our current situation 😬 let see if this can be turned around or redirected into a direction is striving.
Luckily, we're not mice. And as far as I know, we're the only species that's ever lived that could potentially thwart it's own extinction using our big ole meat noodles. (Barring something like a big space rock plowing into us or something like that.) We have the tool to avoid it, but the $10,000 Question is... will we?
I think we're beginning to see the collective consciousness of cultures begin to address it. A lot of the younger generations are now taking purposeful steps to unplug every now and then to "touch grass" so to speak. The good news is that we're not as simple as the mice. We can make a choice to change if we like.
The species will not end. Cultures will. MIgrants bring their own cultures and, in some smaller countries, the capability to outvote "natives". Maybe this is just nature's way of making sure humanity doesn't grow comfy ;-)
Honestly, I don’t think the species will end that way, either. Not only do you make a good point, but we also have a particular knack to introduce struggle even into situations where it’s unnecessary.
But, I think our future might be brighter than that. I could definitely be wrong, but I still root for humanity to be it’s best self.
Fascinating! Mice experiments. Human consciousness in holographic dimensions meeting non-human consciousness. And advice of those who unsubscribe. I've got to circle back on this one, Joe. Too much interesting stuff happening at every new sentence to settle on one pass through!
I'm trying to pack it full of value, entertainment, and information. Glad to hear it seems to be working!
If this is a sign of what's to come from J. D. Forrest - I'm on the edge of my seat! 👍
“Fire the CEO, Keep the Janitor” yep, good thing this line of thinking is getting more sunshine lately 👏
On the missing page 25: a long time ago I found it, read it and it really didn’t have anything earth shattering in it.
Anyways, good stuff, I’m off to put an eye mask on and a pair of headphones before I teleport to Focus 15 for some needed manifestation work before lunch.
Upper management and most of middle management are useless bureaucracy. Their jobs could easily be automated and end with better results.
And not surprising on page 25. Most government reports read like something you'd use for toilet paper.
Have fun traveling the frequencies!
Thanks JD. I remember coming across Universe 25 in a psych class at uni. What struck me then (and still does) is how quickly the experiment gets misread as “abundance causes collapse,” when it’s really about loss of role, purpose, and relational meaning inside abundance.
I appreciate your insistence on this not being a resource problem, but rather a structure-of-meaning problem. Third places disappearing, roles hollowed out, struggle abstracted into metrics rather than lived contribution.
I’m less convinced the outcome is irreversible for humans, though — precisely because we can re-author purpose consciously, rather than default to biology alone (although according to determinism of course, this is still controversial). And in any case, this still feels like an apt warning for our times.
Personally I hope we do find that courage to forge new meaning. After all, our struggles haven't vanished - they've mutated.
Singularities loom, old myths die, and existential meaning needs to be reinvented. And our lives are no less fatal than ever been. But the question now seems to be whether we can face these challenges awake, rather than under anesthetic.
I honestly don't think it'll get us like it did the mice. It'll get a portion of humanity, but not all of it.
I think a good example would be an AI-led Utopia, where an artificial general or super-intelligence was benevolent and ushered us into an era of post-scarcity. This would naturally mean a lot of jobs we have today would disappear, done more efficiently by robots and other means.
Those who base their whole identity in their work or careers would likely struggle a lot to find any sort of meaning. I think those who are more creative minded wouldn't have much of an issue. We'd have to much fun creating or farming or seeing the world.
Cool JD - I feel cautiously optimistic too (or at least feel that courage and optimism are as much as a survival requirements as a choice).
And I expect there is quite a lot in the near-ish future that will test our courage.
So many challenges coming with myriad potentials: like with that looming super-intelligence you point to.
If we are able to get over our ourselves, ie. our ego-investment in social roles likely to be replaced soon - there might really BE new possibilities for human ‘being’ that could be alternately defined…
And a curiosity question JD (that I hope is not too impertinent:)…
Did I read on your profile that you are an ordained minister? And if so, do you mind my asking if this changes how you imagine - or go about tackling the human challenges to come?
It's uncanny and scary how the universe 25 experiment parallels our current situation 😬 let see if this can be turned around or redirected into a direction is striving.
Luckily, we're not mice. And as far as I know, we're the only species that's ever lived that could potentially thwart it's own extinction using our big ole meat noodles. (Barring something like a big space rock plowing into us or something like that.) We have the tool to avoid it, but the $10,000 Question is... will we?
Yes. The potential exists for a solution alongside the threat of self destruction.
I think we're beginning to see the collective consciousness of cultures begin to address it. A lot of the younger generations are now taking purposeful steps to unplug every now and then to "touch grass" so to speak. The good news is that we're not as simple as the mice. We can make a choice to change if we like.