Some takeaways from @vervaeke_john's work. Definitely check out his excellent YouTube series: "Awakening From the Meaning Crisis"
youtube.com/channel/UCpqDU…
youtube.com/channel/UCpqDU…
One way of characterizing meaning is the organization of your life & how you live in it, like a sentence coheres together, a sentence that's significant to you, has impact on your understanding of yourself & the world, and can be shared with others
The meaning crisis, then, is a mass meaning scarcity.
Effects can spiral: A change in consciousness can impair cognition, which can cause you to lose cognitive flexibility, which can cause you to see your world & agency narrow a bit, and then see meaning drain away.
Effects can spiral: A change in consciousness can impair cognition, which can cause you to lose cognitive flexibility, which can cause you to see your world & agency narrow a bit, and then see meaning drain away.
One concept Vervaeke is obsessed with is relevance realization
It’s basally what you pay attention to
There's a combinatorially explosive amount of information in our environment, we cannot process it all
We have to frame—we can’t be frameless
We can grow, but we are finite
It’s basally what you pay attention to
There's a combinatorially explosive amount of information in our environment, we cannot process it all
We have to frame—we can’t be frameless
We can grow, but we are finite
Consider chess — the search space all possible moves is larger than the amount of particles in universe.
And that's just chess—now consider real world decision making.
The ability to zero in on what's pertinent is the central task of a cognitive agent.
And that's just chess—now consider real world decision making.
The ability to zero in on what's pertinent is the central task of a cognitive agent.
His answer to meaning crisis:
We need a historical analysis that makes us aware of cognitive cultural grammar of meaning making, consonant with scientific analyses of it, coordinated w/ ecology of practices that are optimized for individual & collective meaning making.
We need a historical analysis that makes us aware of cognitive cultural grammar of meaning making, consonant with scientific analyses of it, coordinated w/ ecology of practices that are optimized for individual & collective meaning making.
So cultivation of wisdom becomes a cultural and cognitive, project so that ppl once again have world view attunement that enables them to respond to perennial problems that come from our self deceptive nature so w can alleviate the suffering the meaning crisis is inflicting on us
In other words, religion without religion.
Vervaeke says that religions as structures have afforded us four ways of knowing.
1. Propositional - we assert and believe propositions (belief)
2. Procedural - knowing how to do things (skills)
Vervaeke says that religions as structures have afforded us four ways of knowing.
1. Propositional - we assert and believe propositions (belief)
2. Procedural - knowing how to do things (skills)
3. Perspectival - what it’s like to be here right now (situational awareness, presence)
4. Participatory - how you reliably assume and assign identities
One mistake in how we've moved on from religion is that we've only replaced the propositional (belief) without the others.
4. Participatory - how you reliably assume and assign identities
One mistake in how we've moved on from religion is that we've only replaced the propositional (belief) without the others.
This is demonstrated in how we think abt rationality--we equate it w/ "logical".
Logic just one tool in the toolkit that is rationality -- the systematic and reliable set of techniques to overcome self-deception.
Logic only focuses on inferential & propositional processing
Logic just one tool in the toolkit that is rationality -- the systematic and reliable set of techniques to overcome self-deception.
Logic only focuses on inferential & propositional processing
Even computers use other tools to truncate their search
We can’t have universal standard of certainty achieved by logical validity
Not giving in to romanticism — logic is important
But part of what it means to be rational is knowing when, were and to what degree to be logical
We can’t have universal standard of certainty achieved by logical validity
Not giving in to romanticism — logic is important
But part of what it means to be rational is knowing when, were and to what degree to be logical
In order to engage all four ways of knowing -- instead of just the propositional -- we need a set of "meta psycho-technologies"
1/ something analogous to active open mindedness (CBT, Stoicism)
Protect inferential processing from the part of us that wants to leap to conclusions
1/ something analogous to active open mindedness (CBT, Stoicism)
Protect inferential processing from the part of us that wants to leap to conclusions
2/ mindfulness practice--the ability to shut off inferential machinery so the insight machinery can be properly developed & engaged
3/ practice for your perspectival learning (“Internalizing the sage “)
4/ Practices like circling & pedagogical programming & insight dialoging
3/ practice for your perspectival learning (“Internalizing the sage “)
4/ Practices like circling & pedagogical programming & insight dialoging
5/ Identify w/ functionality of opponent processing as opposed to adversarial debate
6/ good movement practice
Training enhanced range of flexibility for procedural but especially perspectival knowing and participatory knowing
/fin for now - will likely return to this thread
6/ good movement practice
Training enhanced range of flexibility for procedural but especially perspectival knowing and participatory knowing
/fin for now - will likely return to this thread
