OK… I think I understand this. And I agree with much of it.
Some exceptions...
Now, brains have a strong tendency to in the lack of an identity create one and give it root access,
I don’t think I understand what you mean by “root access” here. Can you give me some examples of things that an identity with root access can do, that an identity without root access cannot do?
something that I consider impossibly absurd seems to be the norm for most humans; considering their physical body as a part of “themselves”
This is admittedly a digression, but for my own part, treating my physical body as part of myself seems no more absurd or arbitrary to me than treating my memories of what I had for breakfast this morning as part of myself, or my memories of my mom, or my inability to juggle. It’s kind of absurd, yes, but all attachment to personal identity is kind of absurd. We do it anyway.
All of that said… well, let me put it this way: continuing the sonnet analogy, let’s say my brain writes a sonnet (S1) today and then writes a sonnet (S2) tomorrow. To my way of thinking, the value-add of S2 over and above S1 depends significantly on the overlap between them. If the only difference is that S2 corrects a mis-spelled word in S1, for example, I’m inclined to say that value(S1+S2) = value(S2) ~= value(S1) .
For example, if S1 → S2 is an improvement, I’m happy to discard S1 if I can keep S2, but I’m almost as happy to discard S2 if I can keep S1 -- while I do have a preference for keeping S2 over keeping S1, it’s noise relative to my preference for keeping one of them over losing both.
I can imagine exceptions to the above, but they’re contrived.
So, the fix-a-mispelling case is one extreme, where the difference between S1 and S2 is very small. But as the difference increases, the value(S1+S2) = value(S2) ~= value(S1) equation becomes less and less acceptable. At the other extreme, I’m inclined to say that S2 is simply a separate sonnet, which was inspired by S1 but is distinct from it, and value(S1+S2) ~= value(S2) + value(S1).
And those extremes are really just two regions in a multidimensional space of sonnet-valuation.
Does that seem like a reasonable way to think about sonnets? (I don’t mean is it complete; of course there’s an enormous amount of necessary thinking about sonnets I’m not including here. I just mean have I said anything that strikes you as wrong?)
Does it seem like an equally reasonable way to think about identities?
Root access was probably a to metaphorical choice of words. Is “skeletal musculature privileges” clearer?
All those things like memories or skillsets you list as part of identity does seem weird, but even irrelevant software not nearly as weird as specific hardware. I mean seriously attaching significance to specific atoms? Wut? But of course, I know it’s really me thats weird and most humans do it.
I agree about what you say about sonnets, it’s very well put in fact. And yes identities do follow the same rules. Trying to come up with fitting tulpa stuff in the metaphor. Doesn’t really work though because I don’t know enough about it.
This is getting a wee bit complicated and I think we’re starting to reach the point where we have to dissolve the classifications and actually model things in detail on continuums, which means more conjecture and guesswork and less data and what data we have being less relevant. We’ve been working mostly in metaphors that doesn’t really go this far without breaking down. Also, since we’re getting into more and more detail, it also means th stuff we are examining is likely to be drowned out in the differences between brains, and the conversation turn into nonsense due to the typical mind fallacy.
As such, I am unwilling to widely sprout what’s likely to end up half nonsense at least publicly. Contact me by PM if you’re really all that interested in getting my working model of identities and mental bestiary.
OK… I think I understand this. And I agree with much of it.
Some exceptions...
I don’t think I understand what you mean by “root access” here. Can you give me some examples of things that an identity with root access can do, that an identity without root access cannot do?
This is admittedly a digression, but for my own part, treating my physical body as part of myself seems no more absurd or arbitrary to me than treating my memories of what I had for breakfast this morning as part of myself, or my memories of my mom, or my inability to juggle. It’s kind of absurd, yes, but all attachment to personal identity is kind of absurd. We do it anyway.
All of that said… well, let me put it this way: continuing the sonnet analogy, let’s say my brain writes a sonnet (S1) today and then writes a sonnet (S2) tomorrow. To my way of thinking, the value-add of S2 over and above S1 depends significantly on the overlap between them. If the only difference is that S2 corrects a mis-spelled word in S1, for example, I’m inclined to say that value(S1+S2) = value(S2) ~= value(S1) .
For example, if S1 → S2 is an improvement, I’m happy to discard S1 if I can keep S2, but I’m almost as happy to discard S2 if I can keep S1 -- while I do have a preference for keeping S2 over keeping S1, it’s noise relative to my preference for keeping one of them over losing both.
I can imagine exceptions to the above, but they’re contrived.
So, the fix-a-mispelling case is one extreme, where the difference between S1 and S2 is very small. But as the difference increases, the value(S1+S2) = value(S2) ~= value(S1) equation becomes less and less acceptable. At the other extreme, I’m inclined to say that S2 is simply a separate sonnet, which was inspired by S1 but is distinct from it, and value(S1+S2) ~= value(S2) + value(S1).
And those extremes are really just two regions in a multidimensional space of sonnet-valuation.
Does that seem like a reasonable way to think about sonnets? (I don’t mean is it complete; of course there’s an enormous amount of necessary thinking about sonnets I’m not including here. I just mean have I said anything that strikes you as wrong?)
Does it seem like an equally reasonable way to think about identities?
Root access was probably a to metaphorical choice of words. Is “skeletal musculature privileges” clearer?
All those things like memories or skillsets you list as part of identity does seem weird, but even irrelevant software not nearly as weird as specific hardware. I mean seriously attaching significance to specific atoms? Wut? But of course, I know it’s really me thats weird and most humans do it.
I agree about what you say about sonnets, it’s very well put in fact. And yes identities do follow the same rules. Trying to come up with fitting tulpa stuff in the metaphor. Doesn’t really work though because I don’t know enough about it.
This is getting a wee bit complicated and I think we’re starting to reach the point where we have to dissolve the classifications and actually model things in detail on continuums, which means more conjecture and guesswork and less data and what data we have being less relevant. We’ve been working mostly in metaphors that doesn’t really go this far without breaking down. Also, since we’re getting into more and more detail, it also means th stuff we are examining is likely to be drowned out in the differences between brains, and the conversation turn into nonsense due to the typical mind fallacy.
As such, I am unwilling to widely sprout what’s likely to end up half nonsense at least publicly. Contact me by PM if you’re really all that interested in getting my working model of identities and mental bestiary.