Something like “terminal”/”intrinsic”, i.e. not in service of any other desire.
ETA: the terminal/instrumental distinction probably doesn’t apply cleanly to humans but think of the difference between Alice who reads book XYZ because she really likes XYZ (in the typical ways humans like books) and Bob who reads the same book only to impress Charlie.
In the end, all behaviors are grounded in the brain’s steering systems evaluation. The neocortex and the other parts of the brain can’t optimize the steering system’s implicit function directly, but only explore the search space incrementally from where it starts (as a baby). There are all kinds of attractor states and local maxima[1] that in human lifetime you likely can’t reach anything close to optimum (not even considering the changing environment).
Whatever we call “terminal” can only be names for common[2] attractor states that people do not get out during the time of observation.
Not strictly local maximal because the search space is very high-dimensional and there are likely no local maxima, but the gradient out can still be through a very narrow “ravine”.
This still leaves open the question: “What are some uncommon/peculiar attractor states corresponding to [people seemingly terminally valuing ‘weird’ things]?”.
Something like “terminal”/”intrinsic”, i.e. not in service of any other desire.
ETA: the terminal/instrumental distinction probably doesn’t apply cleanly to humans but think of the difference between Alice who reads book XYZ because she really likes XYZ (in the typical ways humans like books) and Bob who reads the same book only to impress Charlie.
In the end, all behaviors are grounded in the brain’s steering systems evaluation. The neocortex and the other parts of the brain can’t optimize the steering system’s implicit function directly, but only explore the search space incrementally from where it starts (as a baby). There are all kinds of attractor states and local maxima[1] that in human lifetime you likely can’t reach anything close to optimum (not even considering the changing environment).
Whatever we call “terminal” can only be names for common[2] attractor states that people do not get out during the time of observation.
Not strictly local maximal because the search space is very high-dimensional and there are likely no local maxima, but the gradient out can still be through a very narrow “ravine”.
in our larger social environment; at other times the states may have been different.
I tentatively agree with this view.
This still leaves open the question: “What are some uncommon/peculiar attractor states corresponding to [people seemingly terminally valuing ‘weird’ things]?”.