4 ms·

Well, yeah, being alone puts you at higher risk of schizophrenia and dementia, experiencing and expressing negative emotions makes you stressed and tired, we're

by bserge 6y ago

Well, yeah, being alone puts you at higher risk of schizophrenia and dementia, experiencing and expressing negative emotions makes you stressed and tired, we're social animals. Kind of interesting how as a society we seem to be rejecting it - a lot of technology enables us to be alone or at least not in direct contact with others. I wonder what the ramifications of that will be in the future.

CharlesW 6y ago
> …a lot of technology enables us to be alone or at least not in direct contact with others. What I've seen during the pandemic is that technology enables my family to be in direct contact (if not physically) with others for most of our waking time. Certainly, my kids spend more time with their friends virtually than I did with mine physically as a child. Does the physical part matter? The article references a study where altruistic behavior (a donation) has benefits even if that behavior isn't done in person.
- goldenkey 6y ago
  Reality is constructed of information states if we really want to be honest with ourselves. There is never really a _true_ information state. Charles Sanders Peirce called the world we build a 'phaneron,' the information state as presented by the senses. Everyone's eyes are a blurry figment of what the true photonic field is. Same with touch when it comes to surfaces and well, all the senses. And those senses degrade over time as we age. I hate hearing the phrase 'real world' or 'physical' being used to describe non-electronic interaction. Call the in-person stuff analog if you'd like. But the digital stuff is just as real. We never have the entire quantum state of other people accessible. We always just get a small blurry sample of their true presence. Does it matter whether it goes through air or down a copper wire? The only difference is with regard to security. I can see that argument as valid. But unless security/imposters are a concern, it's still the real deal.
  - bserge 6y ago
    I understand the idea, but sadly we're tied to these primitive bodies that have their own needs and urges. Perhaps in the future we will learn to shut off the primal instincts, but for now, it seems to do more bad than good if we ignore them.
    - adamsea 6y ago
      Agreed. Want to gently critique: > sadly we're tied to these primitive bodies Our bodies (and the sensations and emotions produced by them) are not primitive. They’re super sophisticated and we are nowhere near being able to replicate them. There’s interesting work btw on the fundamentally intertwined nature of emotion and “rational” thought.
      - bserge 6y ago
        By primitive, I mostly meant the primitive brain and responses. Emotions are a drawback imo, the fact that they're so deeply intertwined with the logical parts is a drawback. We often act against our own best interests and health purely because we're afraid, for example. Biological bodies are indeed, very sophisticated and versatile, too bad we can't control any of the features.
        adamsea 6y ago
        > Emotions are a drawback imo, the fact that they're so deeply intertwined with the logical parts is a drawback. Homie I hope you eventually wake up and smell the coffee :). Take away emotions, lol, and you literally are no longer a human being. Lol take away emotions and you literally die - fear, anger, sadness,desire, hunger, joy, curiosity. Intellectual curiosity is an emotion. The joy of solving a problem, doing something with some slick and elegant logic? Emotion. > We often act against our own best interests and health purely because we're afraid, for example. Best interest? The very concept fundamentally depends on caring about something - being alive, the good of humanity, whatever. Caring about absolutely anything? An emotion :). We actually are able to control a lot, but not all of our bodies. Once we accept that we are inherently emotional beings and work on being more conscious of our feelings and mindful ;). FWIW while it’s a lifelong effort, practicing to neutrally observe our feelings and treat them more as data to analyze, without divorcing ourselves from them or denying them, is a powerful tool to counterbalance the ease of confusing a transitory feeling with one’s self and the counterproductive behavior or decision-making which often stems from that. AKA practicing mindfulness. Lol which I’m not really doing, writing such a heated comment ;). Laughter? Emotion. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but computers are perfectly logical and have no emotion and they’re not fucking alive. Take a page from Commander Data’s book and try to appreciate the fundamental nature of humanity :).
- bserge 6y ago
  I believe it matters. I mean, sure, short term you can stay apart. But can you imagine not getting even a hug for 5, 10 years? Helping others any way I can does make me feel good (so does receiving help, for that matter), I guess that's the case for the majority.
  - kortilla 6y ago
    > But can you imagine not getting even a hug for 5, 10 years? Yes? My friends did not hug each other growing up. Hugs were for family members, which the kids are with every day during the pandemic.

by bserge 6y ago

CharlesW 6y ago

> …a lot of technology enables us to be alone or at least not in direct contact with others. What I've seen during the pandemic is that technology enables my family to be in direct contact (if not physically) with others for most of our waking time. Certainly, my kids spend more time with their friends virtually than I did with mine physically as a child. Does the physical part matter? The article references a study where altruistic behavior (a donation) has benefits even if that behavior isn't done in person.

goldenkey 6y ago
Reality is constructed of information states if we really want to be honest with ourselves. There is never really a _true_ information state. Charles Sanders Peirce called the world we build a 'phaneron,' the information state as presented by the senses. Everyone's eyes are a blurry figment of what the true photonic field is. Same with touch when it comes to surfaces and well, all the senses. And those senses degrade over time as we age. I hate hearing the phrase 'real world' or 'physical' being used to describe non-electronic interaction. Call the in-person stuff analog if you'd like. But the digital stuff is just as real. We never have the entire quantum state of other people accessible. We always just get a small blurry sample of their true presence. Does it matter whether it goes through air or down a copper wire? The only difference is with regard to security. I can see that argument as valid. But unless security/imposters are a concern, it's still the real deal.
- bserge 6y ago
  I understand the idea, but sadly we're tied to these primitive bodies that have their own needs and urges. Perhaps in the future we will learn to shut off the primal instincts, but for now, it seems to do more bad than good if we ignore them.
  - adamsea 6y ago
    Agreed. Want to gently critique: > sadly we're tied to these primitive bodies Our bodies (and the sensations and emotions produced by them) are not primitive. They’re super sophisticated and we are nowhere near being able to replicate them. There’s interesting work btw on the fundamentally intertwined nature of emotion and “rational” thought.
    - bserge 6y ago
      By primitive, I mostly meant the primitive brain and responses. Emotions are a drawback imo, the fact that they're so deeply intertwined with the logical parts is a drawback. We often act against our own best interests and health purely because we're afraid, for example. Biological bodies are indeed, very sophisticated and versatile, too bad we can't control any of the features.
      - adamsea 6y ago
        > Emotions are a drawback imo, the fact that they're so deeply intertwined with the logical parts is a drawback. Homie I hope you eventually wake up and smell the coffee :). Take away emotions, lol, and you literally are no longer a human being. Lol take away emotions and you literally die - fear, anger, sadness,desire, hunger, joy, curiosity. Intellectual curiosity is an emotion. The joy of solving a problem, doing something with some slick and elegant logic? Emotion. > We often act against our own best interests and health purely because we're afraid, for example. Best interest? The very concept fundamentally depends on caring about something - being alive, the good of humanity, whatever. Caring about absolutely anything? An emotion :). We actually are able to control a lot, but not all of our bodies. Once we accept that we are inherently emotional beings and work on being more conscious of our feelings and mindful ;). FWIW while it’s a lifelong effort, practicing to neutrally observe our feelings and treat them more as data to analyze, without divorcing ourselves from them or denying them, is a powerful tool to counterbalance the ease of confusing a transitory feeling with one’s self and the counterproductive behavior or decision-making which often stems from that. AKA practicing mindfulness. Lol which I’m not really doing, writing such a heated comment ;). Laughter? Emotion. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but computers are perfectly logical and have no emotion and they’re not fucking alive. Take a page from Commander Data’s book and try to appreciate the fundamental nature of humanity :).
bserge 6y ago
I believe it matters. I mean, sure, short term you can stay apart. But can you imagine not getting even a hug for 5, 10 years? Helping others any way I can does make me feel good (so does receiving help, for that matter), I guess that's the case for the majority.
- kortilla 6y ago
  > But can you imagine not getting even a hug for 5, 10 years? Yes? My friends did not hug each other growing up. Hugs were for family members, which the kids are with every day during the pandemic.